Eternally Yours
by Larania Drake
Summary: Erek tries his hand at demon summoning.
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to K.A. Applegate and Scholastic. I don't know who came up with Highlander, but it wasn't me. Gargoyles belong to Buena Vista. I am also throwing on some of the Wheel of Time, which belongs to Robert Jordan. I'm not making any money. I don't want any stinking money. Emrys, Kwannon, and any other original chacarcters belong to me. If you use them ask first, or you will know fear, pain, then you will die.

Eternally Yours

My name is Emrys. I think that is my name, at least. As for a last name, I've never had one. I was married once. Then I had a last name, but my beloved mate died, in the most useless of accidents. So I took to wandering. I have been living in these woods, in this state park, for over a year now. I live off the land, as I once did for a very, very long time. I began to notice something strange, in these past few months. I will watch. I will wait. Maybe somehow, I can lend my assistance.

Cassie

History is pure torture. It is inhumane. I would rather be fighting Visser 3 than listen to our new history teacher drone on and on about the Greeks. 

Well, almost.

Most of you who are reading this most likely know about the Animorphs, and the Yeerks. I won't bore you with the details. I was getting enough in that class to keep me for the rest of my life.

Our teacher was going on and on and on like the energizer bunny about how great the Greek Theatre was. Beside me, Erek the Chee rolled his eyes.

"He wouldn't be rambling like this if had seen these plays for himself when they were first written. I can't believe how many of these myths have been mistaken or are just plain wrong." 

"Really?" I reply. "I was under the impression that they were all wrong.'

"No," said Erek. "Actually, there are a lot that are based on fact. The details just keep getting messed up."

"Well, what about the ones that had to do with magic and Hercules and whatever? Those pretty much have to be made up."

"Funny that you should mention that-"

Just then, our teacher noticed us. We barely got out with a warning.

Later that day, I was riding home form school when I saw something strange. It was Visser 3 in human morph. He was handing someone something. I couldn't see what it was. I caught a glimpse of the person whom he was handing the something to. It was a beautiful human woman. She was one of those types that make you feel even more awkward and ugly. And she saw me looking. I don't know how. I mean, her back was to me. There was no way that she could have known I was looking at her, but she turned around and gave me the coldest glare I have ever seen. Then she smiled.

I shivered.

Rachel

Cassie called a meeting in her barn. That pretty much surprised all of us. Cassie doesn't do that. We all sat there, waiting for Marco to arrive. He is usually late.

Cassie stood up. "I'm sure you all are wondering why I called this meeting. Well, I saw something weird today."

"Weird? Other than some sort of new dish they are serving, I couldn't tell," said Marco.

"Shut up, Marco," I snapped. That boy really gets on my nerves.

"This was Visser 3. I saw him in his human morph. He was giving something to this human. For once, it wasn't Visser 3 that scared me. It was the human lady who was with him. But that was even weirder, because she could have been an ordinary controller."

"Hmmm," said Jake. "Maybe we should see if Erek knows anything about this. I'll go call him later and see what he can find out for us. Later, we'll call another meeting to talk about what we found out. Now, I gotta get home to do some homework. Later."

We all broke up. Ax and Tobias went back to the woods, Jake and Marco walked home discussing Spider-Man. I was spending the night at Cassie's. I went inside and said to her," What's the big deal, Cass? You saw Visser 3 doing some business. He probably does stuff like that all the time." 

"No. That doesn't make any sense. If he was doing that, why would he do it in the open? He could have done business anywhere, in his Andalite body, a lot more easily. Plus, he wasn't treating that woman the way he treats ordinary controllers. He almost seemed....nervous. Like he was not sure how she was going to react if he said something wrong. Almost afraid."

"Rrriiight. Cassie, you're my best friend and all, but how could you figure this all out in just a few second. You in a moving bus, for goodness sake!" I said sarcastically. 

Cassie looked at me. She still looked troubled.

"Rachel, I hope you're right."

Aximilli

After Prince Jake ended the meeting, I and my shorm Tobias headed back to my scoop. We were going to watch the Avengers, a human movie on one of the human's greatest inventions: the TV

Do you think Erek will have any informationon the Visser? thought spoke Tobias.

I think so. Erek has given us extremely good information in the past. I believe he will continue to do so. I said back.

It was just before sunset. The sun was filtering through the trees at an angle that made it almost blinding. I had to squint my main eyes to keep from burning their retinas. That, I assume, is why I did not see the human.

She was sitting in a tree, looking at us. Her expression was not one of fear, but of amusement, as I judge human faces. I whirled around to run. I could not let humans see me. They might be controllers. Or they could become controllers.

No choice now. If she had run, screaming "monster" I would have believed that she was a normal human, but she just sat there. I ran over to the woman's perch, and said, Yeerk! . I put my tail-bade to her throat. Oddly enough, she still did not lose her look of calm amusement.

"I do not know 'yeerk'. If you would not mind removing you formidable blade, I would like to speak to you." She spoke differently than the humans that I knew. There was also something else. A great sadness.

Speak to me? Since when do you slugs talk? You only kill. 

"Lad, I do not know your kind, but if I had wished you dead-" Without warning, her hand moved faster then any human's should have been able to, grabbing my tail-blade and pressing it to my own throat,"-you would be."

Obviously, I thought, she doesn't know how strong an Andalite's tail is. I tried to jerk my tail free of her grip, but I couldn't. I couldn't! 

"I have been watching you and your friends, and am curious as to what is causing such goings on. I do not want to fight. Just to talk. I like to use my voice on occasion, which I haven't, of late." She let go of my tail. 

I rubbed my tail. She had held it with crushing force.

Tobias said, Whoa. Did I just see what I thought I saw? I don't think she's a Yeerk. I just wish I knew what she is at all. 

Ah, I began, Ah, I really don't know what to say... It is not my place to say. My leader, we would, we would have to ask our leader. 

"That's fine, lad. I don't mind waitin'. I have a lotta practice at it. By the way, I'm human. Last time I checked. Now, dae ye mind giving an old lady a hand down? I was takin' a nap when ye came a-crashin' through."

I was confused. Old? Other than her hair being white, which a part of human aging, she looked to be no older than any of the actors I see on the Young and the Restless.

I offered her my hand, which she took. I expected her grip to be as bruising as the first time, but now her hand was as gentle as a mother's was. Odd. She reminds me of a mother. Not that I have met many human mothers.

She gave a grunt, and landed on the ground. Saying," Thank ye, lad," she disappeared into the trees.

Tobias

Now that was weird. I said.

Very weird, my friend. She didn't seem to mean us any harm, but if there is any chance that she could be a controller...

I know. We need to talk to the others. 

We met again in Cassie's barn. Erek the Chee was there, hopefully to shed some light on the subject. First, though, Ax and I wanted to get our story out. Last night we met a very weird lady. She claimed to have been watching us a long time. She came out of nowhere and just started talking to us. If she'd been a regular human, she would have ran, but if she'd been a controller, she would have tried to run or fight, not talk. She said she was curious about what we were doing, and wanted to meet you, Jake

"Did she ask for me specifically?" said Jake while Marco said, "This has got to be a trap."

No, Prince Jake, she didn't ask for you specifically, but I told her that we would need to speak to our leader first. The frightening part of this was that she was able to catch hold of my tail blade and keep hold of it. No human should have been that fast or that strong. answered Ax. 

We don't know if is a trap. We could meet with her and see what happens. I said doubtfully.

"We'll worry about that later. Erek has some majorly freaky news. Erek?" said Jake, uneasily.

"Yeah, the person that Cassie saw the other night came out of no where. A few weeks ago, this lady named Selene walked into the Yeerk pool. We have no idea how she got there. She went over to Visser 3 and asked him what he wanted. Visser 3 was outraged that she could get in without being killed immediately. But what happened later is what gave everyone the heebie-jeebies. Visser 3 kinda went into a trance. He told her that he wanted the Andalite bandits and to become Visser 1. She told him she would give him those things if he would get her a special book. Visser 3 said he would, just give him what he wanted. Then, and no one knows how she did it, but she disappeared. Poof. Vanished, and Visser 3 started acting like himself again. I saw all of it, and if I had skin, I'd have goose bumps," Eric finished.

Have they met since then? I demanded.

"Yeah, a couple of times. Each time, Visser 3 acts like he isn't all there. After he does what she wants, he goes back to normal. He remembers it, but he can't seem to think of it as weird."

"What is this special book that Visser 3 wants?" asked Cassie. "I saw him give to the Selene lady a package. Was that it?"

"No. The book he is trying to get is an old spell book, I think," replied Eric.

"Then why should we worry?" said Marco. "Let her have it, for all the good it will do her. There's no such thing as magic."

"If this book were no big deal, then why would she be trying so hard to get it? And what if she could back up her claim of giving the Visser what he wants?"

We all shivered at that thought.

Cassie

The next week went by quietly, but we all felt the tension. We snapped at each other, Jake and I argued, and Marco forgot to make bad jokes. We were all waiting for the hammer to drop.

I got home that Friday, and was surprised to find Erek there. In his hands was a plain, well worn book. I had a gut feeling about what he was going to tell me. He opened his mouth to talk, and-

"That's it, isn't it? The book that Selene was wanting," I interrupted.

He nodded. He flipped the book open to a particular page. I scanned it. The book was in a language that I couldn't read.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"The whole book is written in Sanskrit. The book itself is about the summoning and controlling of demons. One in particular, named the Old One, or Ancient. Supposedly, you can use this book to bring him to wherever you are, and make him do what you want," said Erek.

"So Selene believes in demons, can control Visser 3, and, then what? Do we have any idea what it is that she wants?" I groaned and buried my head in my hands. "Why us? As if aliens aren't enough, now we have to deal with crazy humans who believe in hocus-pocus!"

"I don't think she's crazy, but she definitely thinks that she can summon this thing, so I was wondering… Could we do this ourselves? Summon the Old One? Maybe we could make him into an ally or-"

"Erek, as Marco would say, are you insane? Summon a demon?"

"It's a suggestion," he muttered.

Marco

We all gathered at the barn again. Erek made his crazy suggestion. We all chorused, "Are you INSANE?" Then we all took a moment to think about it.

"Do you think it could work?" I asked Erek.

"I don't know. I have seen some pretty inexplicable things in my time, but never demon summoning. I doubt it will work."

"Then why did you bring it up?" retorted Rachel.

Erek shrugged. "I was curious."

I am curious as well, said Ax. I would like to see if such a thing could occur. 

"Oh, great," I mumble. "The blue alien wants to risk our souls because he is curious. Didn't you ever hear about what that did to the cat?"

What cat? 

"Do you really think that it _won't _work?" Jake asked Erek. 

"I am certain that it probably won't," replied Erek.

"Probably?" Jake sighed. "Let's put it to a vote."

We voted. Rachel, Ax, Erek, Cassie, and Tobias voted for. Me and Jake, the smart ones, voted against.

We were going to do it.

WE ARE INSANE.

Rachel

Erek looked through the old book, and told us what to get. I was told to get some salt, Marco was to get some virgin beeswax candles in black and red, and Jake some incense. We decided to go out to the old rock quarry, and perform the spell there. This was getting to be really weird.

Once we had assembled all the necessary stuff, we went to the quarry, and Erek started making a diagram with the salt, and lit the incense. He then put the candles at the points of the diagram, and lit them. We all stood there and waited, as he began muttering in a dead language. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and braided itself as I listened.

(Author's note: I have no idea about any demon summoning rituals. I'm making this up.)

Erek finished whatever it was that he was chanting, and we collectively held our breaths.

Nothing happened.

"Well," said Marco. "That was a waste of time." He snorted derisively. "Jake, want to go play Doom?"

Then a steady whining got my attention, and it wasn't Marco. I glanced up, and choked.

"Heads up, guys! Battle morphs! Now!" I shouted. 

It was Visser 3's Blade ship.

We all ran for cover.

The Blade ship landed, and the door irised open. Hork-Bajir Controllers exited followed by scores of Taxxons. A group of creatures that I had never seen before, seemingly a collection of human and Earth animal, bearing swords, marched out. Then came Visser 3.

I shuddered. Even with my brave Xena face on, he could still scare me.

After Visser 3, a startlingly beautiful human woman emerged. She was dressed in a summer pants suit, and a short sports blazer, completely in white. Her raven black hair was held back by a silver clip, her eyes were as black as her hair, and cruel as any Visser's could be. It had to be Selene.

Lady, I don't know why you had us come here, Stated Visser 3.

"I sensed the calling spell being cast," she said, her voice melodious.

I just finished my morph to bear, when I heard the Visser say, Even if the book has been found, I still want you to come through with your end of the bargain. 

She smiled slightly. "Of course. The Andalite bandits are right over…" She lazily pointed to our hiding place," there."

If I had been human at that point, I would have screamed. Hork-Bajir and Taxxons rushed at us, more than could take alone. To make things worse, they were followed by the human-animal things, with their black swords raised.

We burst out of hiding, hoping to make some sort of advantage of surprise. Big mistake. We surrounded and cut off from each other in no time. There was no way out. 

I ripped into a Taxxon, and flung it at a Hork-Bajir. Those what's-its came at my back, and I was slashed on my back. I whirled, enraged, and bit it. Another mistake. Its blood burned my mouth. I was cut again, and again, even as I took them down. Finally, they piled on top of me, then blackness.

Tobias

I watched Rachel go down, and screamed as I tried to fly to her. No good. I was hemmed in at all sides. 

THUMP!

I was knocked out of the air, and hit the ground, my wing broken.

I wouldn't have seen it if I had still been in the air, but the pentagram that Erek had drawn was beginning to glow.

Marco

We fought on hopelessly; we knew we couldn't last much longer. I looked over just in time to see a figure shoot up from the dirt inside the diagram. The figure looked around, then let out a roar that shook the earth.

Everything stopped.

I got a good look at the person in the pentagram. It was dressed entirely in black, with a cowled robe. A black tunic came to its knees, and black pants tucked into shiny black leather boots completed the ensemble. It looked up. Its eyes were as golden as a cat's. A black staff was in its hands, and it absorbed the light, giving nothing back.

"Hello, Selene," it whispered in a dry, rasping voice. "Long time, no see." 

Selene smiled harshly," I see that you are still alive, you old witch. Pity, I would have hoped that someone would have taken your head by now."

"You know what they say about wishful thinking. Why are you involving these mortals? To do so violates all the rules that have ever existed. This is our fight, not theirs, and you are coercing the blue one-" she pointed at Visser 3, then pointed at us, " and involving children."

"Stop whining you old fraud. They have all come into this willingly. No rules have been broken. I simply want them dead. "

The Old One snarled, and brought its staff into a ready position. "Talk, or fight."

Selene sneered. "Why should I get my hands dirty? Controllers, Trollocs, bring me the head of the Ancient." She clapped her hands. "Now!"

All the creatures that had been battling the Animorphs turned to the entity in black. They advanced quickly, and engaged. 

The Ancient whirled the staff in its hands, and swung behind, catching a Trolloc blade, twisted, and landed an impossibly fast snap kick on the chest of a Hork-Bajir. They began to surround the Old One, but it performed a perfect skipping side kick, and slashed with its staff. The staff cut the attackers apart easily, meeting no resistance. It then did a complicated kick combination, again struck with the staff, and left a trail of alien and almost human entrails and blood behind it. 

Selene gestured, and several warriors came after us. They charged, and we scattered before them. We couldn't hold out against this.

The Ancient gestured, and rocks and dust flew up to blind the Controllers and Trollocs. Then an invisible wave smashed them to the ground. 

All the creatures fighting the Old One were down. It turned to Selene. It growled, "Enough practice with the b team. You're up, varsity."

Selene scowled, and a pulled sword from her coat.

Jake

The sword that that lady was holding was ugly, and had a wavy, snaky design to it. She shrugged off her coat, and gave a mocking salute.

The Ancient also shed its robe, and I got a shock. It was a she, with blue, furry skin and green hair that was tightly braided. She returned the salute, and they got down to business.

I thought the match in the Phantom Menace was good. Boy, was I wrong.

We all watched, mesmerized at the sheer ferocity of this fight. Jumping kicks, punches, amazing swordsmanship and more went on in that battle.

It ended with Selene making a small mistake. She over parried a blow, and the Old One caught her on the backsweep, knocking her feet out from under her, and thrusting her staff under chin, preparing to crush her throat.

"LEAVE NOW. This is not our last battle, and you know it. Don't try to tempt fate again. I won't be so generous then."

She backed up, with her staff still leveled at Selene's throat.

Selene bared her teeth, showing a set of fangs. She hissed, "Next time, you'll lose." She said something, and everything, including the Blade ship, disappeared. 

The Old One truly did look old at that moment. She leaned on her staff, with her face looking haggard. She turned to us, and then locked eyes with me. I felt as if she was looking into my soul, searching, but not judging.

She gave me a rueful smile. "Greetings, chosen of the Ellimist. I'm sorry you youngsters had to get involved in this." She turned, and gave a concerned look to Rachel.

"Your friend is badly hurt."

Tobias gave a soft moan and started to morph. When he was fully human, he walked over to Rachel, who was unconscious. 

The rest of us staggered over.

Tobias sat down beside her, and tried to wake her up. She wouldn't budge. Her cuts were bleeding sluggishly, and they smelled like rot.

I demorphed, and my injuries went away. I got on my knees beside Tobias, and started shaking her. No luck.

"She's been poisoned," came a voice from behind me. I jumped, and saw the Ancient leaning over Rachel.

"If she has the same abilities and you do, I can make her become human again."

Cassie, who was on Rachel's other side, whispered, "Please."

She nodded, and touched the grizzly's coarse brown fur. Her face tightened. 

"Change."

Slowly, Rachel demorphed, but her injuries stayed.

"Her cuts were supposed to heal!" exclaimed Tobias. He glared. "What did you do to her?!"

"Nothing, I only changed her back to her true self." She examined Rachel. "Some of her hurts did go away, but the ones left by the Trolloc blades remained." She grimaced. "Trolloc blades are poison by their very forging. Technology can't heal the wounds they cause. If they aren't treated, they will fester even worse, and she will die."

"All right, old know-it-all, what do we do now?" sniped Marco.

She didn't answer, but pulled out a small dagger. She then nicked her wrist, and pulled out a piece of cloth. She started cleaning the cuts with her own blood.

"Eew, gross," I muttered.

"Maybe so, maybe no. My blood is anti-venom for Trolloc poisoning. At least she won't have to drink any," she replied, with humor coloring her voice. "She's out of the woods now, but I can't be sure. I'm gifted, to be sure, but I can't heal."

"Now what?" 

"I leave."

"Don't!" pleaded Cassie. "Rachel's not well yet!"

"Not my choice, kiddo. I have interfered too much already. Selene may break the rules at a whim, but I can't."

She got up, pulled her robe back on, and started to leave. She strolled away, then turned, and looked again into my eyes.

"Don't reject aid unasked for. You may need it."

She disappeared. 

Rachel started to wake up.

Cassie

The next week Rachel spent in bed. While she denied it, those cuts hurt a lot. We had taken her back to the barn, and I had sewn her up. Thankfully, she was too groggy to notice. She developed a fever, and her mom made her stay inside, on the couch. 

None of us knew what to do. Her condition just kept getting worse. We needed help, and we needed it bad.

I went out into the forest for a walk, at my wit's end. I rambled around for a while, and finally yelled, "Old One! She's still hurt! Help! Please!"

"What are ya yellin' about?" came an accented voice form behind me.

"Yahh!" I yelped, and spun around.

Behind me was the lady that met the description of the one that Tobias and Ax had told us about. She was tall, over six feet easily, and wearing a hobo's collection of ragged old clothing. Over all was a battered old trench coat, and a fedora hat.

"I, um, was feeling frustrated, and felt like yelling," I said lamely.

She shrugged. "Ye sounded a bit more than frustrated. Someone you care about is sick? Is there anyway that I can help?'

I couldn't help but notice the conflicting accents that warred in her voice. I was so busy paying attention to them that I didn't notice the question at first.

"Ah, yes, um, she is, and nothing seems to help. She got hurt, and got an infection from it."

"May I see her? I have a talent with folk remedies, and might be able to do something for her."

"No, thank you. I don't think there is anything that you could-"

Then I remembered the advice that the Ancient gave Jake. Don't reject aid unasked for. What the heck, what have we got to loose?

"Wait. You might be able to help. Come with me, and I'll take you to her house. What's your name, by the way?"

"Call me Emrys."

It can, and does, get weirder. I get good feedback, and I'll finish it, and even if I don't, I'll still finish it. I have had this story in my head for a long time. 


	2. Default Chapter Title

****

Eternally Yours: 2 Meetings

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me. I am not making money, and any original characters do belong to me, and if you are going to use them, please ask first, or I will have to do bad things to you.

Cassie

Here I am, walking over to Rachel's with a strange hobo because Rachel is sick because she was poisoned by weird monsters who came with this evil lady wanting a book we had and used to cast a spell to summon a demon, which the arch rival apparently, of this evil lady, who turned out to be on our side, and told us to take aid unasked for which is why I am going to Rachel's with this strange hobo in the first place. Did I mention that she knows we are the Animorphs? Did I also mention that I am babbling?

I have no idea how much she knows about us, but she didn't run from Ax, and she was faster than he was. Maybe I should just ask.

"Um, Ms.?"

"Just call me Emrys,"

"Right, Emrys, yeah, just how much do you know about us and all?"

She gave me crooked grin. "Not as much as ye might think. I noticed things going on about a few months ago. I watched and finally started seein' your blue friend. Then I saw you change into a horse one night, little centaur. Facinatin' thing to see. A while back I decided to let you know that I was there, and see if I could offer any aid, and find out what the ruckus was."

"So, you were just curious?" I said, feeling incredulous.

"A mite more than that."

I listened to her sifting accents. She would speak with a normal American one, one minute, the next it would be Irish, the next faintly French. I wondered where she was from.

"So, little centaur, what has happened to your friend that she would be in such pain."

I told her. She listened intently, and started asking questions. I was reassured by the way she asked them, as if she had been doing this for years.

Listening to her talk finally made me ask the question," Where are you from?"

"A lot of places, but Ireland originally. I've lived pretty much everywhere since."

"Then why-" I stopped, because I had no right to ask.  
"Why am I homeless? I chose to live like this. It was a change from the life I had been living, and it helped me forget."

"Forget what?" I asked, without thinking.

"Something very painful, which is also none of your business."

I stuttered an apology, and looked very intently at my shoes.

Conversation was stilted after that.

We eventually reached Rachel's house, and found her mom still at work, and Jordan at the door.

Jordan gave me a concerned look. 

"She's not doing so good, Cassie. She keeps seeing things and muttering 

about some really strange stuff. I'm scared. Who're you?" she said when she noticed Emrys."

"I'm a friend who would like to see if I can do anything for your sister."

"Well, why should I let you in?" she asked, pertly.

"Because I said so," I inserted, before Emrys could answer.

Reluctantly, she let us go inside. 

Rachel

I felt pretty much like hell. The wounds that I had gotten in that last fight burned with red-hot agony, and I was sweating enough to soak my sheets. I kept seeing things, and I couldn't be sure what was real and what wasn't. I thought I heard my sister Jordan let Cassie in, and someone else. 

I blearily opened my eyes when a cool hand was placed on my cheek. I saw a tall woman with an old battered hat and white hair. She whispered something to Cassie, and she left. The lady sat down on my bed, and gently started looking me over, then she also left.

When she returned, she held a cup to my lips, and urged me to drink. The stuff tasted awful. I spit it back up, and then she cleaned me off, and pinched my nose. Putting the cup to my lips again, I had no choice but to swallow. The stuff still tasted bad, but I started feeling better afterward. I slid into a deep sleep after that, and the scent of herbs filled the air.

Cassie

Emrys carefully picked Rachel up, placed her in a chair, and asked Jordan where the sheets were kept. She and I changed her bed, and placed her gently back in it.

I touched her fore head. It was already cooling.

"What was that stuff that you gave her?"

"An herbal tea that was made of some moss that has not been used for centuries. Some things I found growing in the park, and –"

She presented me a small, lopsided purple flower.

"These are called Adara's rose. Their scent can cure many ills."

She started placing small sachets around Rachel's bedroom. Then she asked about a pot of boiling water. I went to get one. I returned with it, and she carefully opened a small paper package. In it were dried leaves. The crumbled them in her hands, and tossed them in the water. They mixed with the delicate scent of the flowers to create a clean, soothing affect all through the room. Rachel stirred a little, and sighed deeply. 

Emrys placed the packet back into a battered canvas satchel that she was wearing. 

She went over to Rachel and again touched her face. "She should recover completely in a few days. See to it that she gets plenty of liquids to replace what she lost because of the fever."

She turned to leave. "Jordan," she said. "Tell your Mom that your sister will get better soon. I had best be leaving."

I followed her out.

"Thank you doesn't seem adequate," I said. "What can we do for you?"

She laughed. "Just come into the woods and talk to me ever so often, and tell your friends that if I should show up unexpectedly, not to panic. I just would like to talk. I had forgotten how nice it was to spend time with someone other than the birds."

I felt myself start to smile. We walked back to the woods, and she gave me a wave goodbye, and left. I also turned to leave, up when I remembered a question I had, she was gone.

Rachel

I felt as if I was waking up for the first time. I had been sleeping like a baby. After the nightmare world of waking dreams that I had been living in for the past few days, sleep was a blessing. I woke up to find Jordan and Cassie looking at me.

"What, did my nose turn purple?" I mumbled and sat up.

I felt just fine. Every thing moved the way it was supposed to; no pain.

Wait, I did remember one dream that wasn't bad.

"Cassie, did you bring an angel in here?"

Jordan and Cassie started laughing.

Jake

Since Rachel started getting better, I have had lots of time to think about the question, what the heck have we gotten ourselves into now? I mean, demons, whatever those other things were, and all? How are we going to cope with that?

To top it all off, we are getting a foreign exchange student tomorrow. Sounds ridiculous, right? We signed up for it way before we knew about the Yeerks, but we had to register for it months in advance, so we haven't thought about it in a while. Today we pick her up.

Right, her. They had more girls than boys so even though we requested a guy, the overflow meant we got a girl. Life makes no sense.

Mom, Dad and I were on our way to the airport. I wasn't paying much attention because I was thinking about what we Animorphs were going to do next. Mom asked a question.

"What?"

"I said, what do you think Japan is like?"

"Um, I don't know, same as here, but Japanese?"

"You are hopeless," said Dad.

We got there, and waited. The flight had been delayed. Great.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, and wondering if our girl spoke any English, I saw a group of people. Kids about my age, and they were Asian.

About time, I thought.

We looked at the name of the girl we had gotten. Kwannon.

We started waving our arms and saying her name. Several of them looked our way. One Asian girl looked our way, and started coming towards us, but she then turned around to a girl I thought was American at first. She was tall, and had jet-black hair, with brilliant green eyes. Her features were definitely European. She saw us, and walked over.

"Hello," she said in only slightly broken English. "My name is --- Kwannon."

"I'm sorry," said my Mom, looking flustered. "The person we were assigned, her first name was Kwannon."

Kwannon's face lit up, and she chuckled. "In my country, the family name comes first."

So that is how we got our exchange student. Her spoken English wasn't the best, but she understood it very well. That was a relief. I was sorry, though, that I wouldn't have time to get to know her. With having to save the world and all, you just didn't have time for babysitting people.

(Author's note: I know some Japanese honorifics, but the rest of the language may as well be Greek to me.) (Laugh, that was a pun.)

Kwannon

I had never been to the United States before, and was looking forward to trying some of their strange _gaijin _food. I wanted to see all I could, because my parents had told me never to come here. Stay in Japan, they had always told me. You'll be safe there. Safe, hah! I had been on patrol with my brothers before, and stopped thieves like the others of my Clan. They had given me training that had made me one of the best fighters of the youngsters of my Clan! What did they think would happen to me, get kidnapped by aliens?

I rode to the home of Jake-san, and wondered what it would be like. Both Mother and Father had told me stories of America, but who knew of sure?

I was greeted at their home by a large golden dog, which Jake-san said was named Homer. I walked in, and smelled food coming from the kitchen. I looked and bit back a laugh. The food was Chinese!

I remembered being told that often _gaijin _got our people mixed up, and since I was technically a _gaijin_ myself, I didn't take offence, even if it tasted nothing like the real thing.

Marco

We had another meeting in the barn, and Erek told us what he knew about what Visser 3 and Selene were up to. It was not much at all. Cassie told us about Emrys curing Rachel.

"So, all she really wants is to talk?" I said.

Cassie nodded.

"Does this sound like a trap to anyone else but me?" I muttered.

"It doesn't, really," spoke Rachel. " She didn't have to help me, and the Old One did tell us to take aid unasked for."

"Yeah, a demon told us that."

"I've been re-translating that text," said Erek. "I think the word for demon there refers to any being of power. The term could be applied to the Ellimist or an angel, as well as Selene. I don't know what that means, exactly, but it might be good."

"Anything else?" I sighed. "Any more good news?"

"Actually," Jake added," I have to take Kwannon out this weekend and show her around. Mom feels we aren't being good enough hosts."

"I'll go. It'll be cool to show someone the mall who's from another country."

I am curious too, as to this concept human have of another country. I would like to go and meet her, and ask her a few questions. Put in Ax.

"We'll all go," finished Cassie.

So we did. It was boring as heck, except that Kwannon saw some stuff she wasn't supposed to.

We went to the mall, and Rachel promptly started getting Kwannon to try the latest fashions.

Then we got to food court. We were going to get cinnamon buns, like we always do. We left Ax with Kwannon so he could study a human from another culture. That was the mistake.

When we got the cinnamon bun, Ax did as he usually does; he tried to swallow the whole thing. We all stared the way we usually do, because no matter how often you see Ax eat an entire cinnamon bun in one bite, you never get used to it. We kind of forgot that we had a guest.

On the way back, I was sitting next to Kwannon on the bus. 

"Marco-san, is Ax-sama always like that?" she asked.

"Like what?" I answered, feeling cautious.

"Does he always try to eat everything at once? In my experience, that is not normal human behavior."

I laughed shortly. 

"No, it is not normal behavior at all."

It was only later that night when I reviewed that conversation, did I realize that she had sounded like she meant that he was an alien. Even later, did I think about what else it might imply.

Kwannon

Jake-san and his family are very kind to me, but they are very busy. I am often by myself, with nothing to do. They do not realize how well I understand English. I can speak perfect English when I want to. I grew up in a bilingual household. So, they think I do not understand what they are saying, and talk freely around me. They also treat me as if I am stupid. They mean well, and I don't hold it against them. I am just simply bored out of my mind. I guess I have to entertain myself tonight.

Cassie

I was in the barn Rachel, who was trying to get me to go to the mall again, when my Dad came in and told me of an injured raccoon in the middle of the city. I smiled, grateful that I could get out of mall crawling with Rachel. I would give her my kidney and first born, but even I can only take so much shopping without going insane.

Then Dad named the neighborhood that the raccoon was in. Suddenly it got less appealing. This, of course, made Rachel want to go. I was kind of grateful. The area in question had a bad rep. Well, the sun was still out. Hopefully nothing bad would happen then. I told Rachel that.

She answered," Famous last words." 

We made our way there. It took us a long time to find the raccoon. Several hours at least. The sky had already gone dark by the time we found it. I started looking over my shoulder nervously, as Dad tranked the poor thing and placed it in a cage. It had a broken leg and some nasty burns, like some kid had put a lighter to it. Nothing happened, so I was starting to calm down.

"I knew we didn't have anything to worry about," I sighed, and Rachel made a face at me.

She chuckled, and replied," Don't worry, Gabrielle. Mighty Xena will always protect you."

Just then, Dad saw a kid run out in front of us. He swerved to miss, and hit a street light. I screamed, before all went black.

I woke up with a sharp ache in my skull. I opened my eyes, and found that I had hit the dashboard. I had been sitting in the middle truck seat.

Rachel was already moving. The worst damage was on the driver's side, and she was able to get out. Dad was pinned. I barely squeezed out. If I had been anything other than an Animorph, I would have panicked. As it was, I was fairly shaken.

"Dad! Wake up! Dad-"

"Cassie, calm down! We can't get him out unless we get help or maybe morph, and I don't think that would be a good idea here. I already tried getting him to wake up, and nothing worked!"

"Phone," I shouted. "We need to find a phone!"

We headed down the street, but it was completely dark by then and no one was on the street. That should have given us some warning, but we were so focused on finding a pay phone, that we didn't notice.

"Hey little girl," came a voice from behind us.

We whirled around, and saw that there was a group of guys from fifteen and older surrounding us.

I looked at Rachel. I saw a look on her face that clearly said, we need to morph, now!

I agreed, but we couldn't in public. I saw an alley behind a Dumpster. I nodded toward it. We ran, and they strolled behind. 

When we reached about midway into the alley, we saw that we had run into a trap. Several more gang members were waiting for us, with weapons varying from lengths of pipe to sawed off rifles. We couldn't do anything.

Rachel and I looked hopelessly at each other. What do we do? Had we fought aliens only to be taken down by a bunch of humans?

"What do you want?" Rachel asked.

The one who had spoken earlier held out a gun said, " Just to have some fun, sweet thing. How bout you-"

He was cut off by a horrifying, howling cry from above.

I looked up, thinking that maybe Tobias or one of the others had some how gotten here, but it wasn't any of them. A human sized shape, with large wings, dove into the crowd, and started knocking gang members left and right. It had a tail and used it to good effect, whipping it around, and drew a sword. 

I don't know who was the most surprised at our rescuer, them or us. I got a good look at her. She was female, long black hair, black eyes, large wings, and blue skin. She was dressed in a lose kind of kimono. She had a ridge of horns above her non-existent eyebrows.

She growled, and her eyes glowed red. Most of the gang had already begun backing up, but at that, many ran, until one fired his gun. She managed to dodge the first, but was grazed on the side by the next, which barely missed her wings. She threw a shirkin at the gun, and it cut off the barrel.

Running the last few paces, she knocked the guy out. The rest scattered when she let out a blood-curdling scream, baring her fangs.

I let out the breath I hadn't realize I was holding.

The creature grimaced and touched her side. She looked at her hand, no, talon. She noticed us, and came over.

We just stared at each other for a while.

"Um, Cassie, your dad, help, remember?" Rachel burst out.

I gulped, "Dad, yeah, all right. Go." I turned. Wait. Don't reject aid…

"Could you help us?" I asked the creature.

It gave me an oddly familiar crooked smile. 

"I thought I already did."

"No, we-wreck-Dad-" I couldn't finish, so I just pointed. We hadn't gone that far, and I ran back.

We smelled gas.

"Dad!" I yelled, realizing what was going to happen.

Suddenly, the creature pushed me aside, and reached for the door of the truck. She placed her talons on the door, and started pulling. With a massive heave, she wrenched it off the truck, and tossed it aside. She pulled my dad out, and shoved us all behind a nearby Dumpster, just before the pick-up exploded. 

We were all on the ground, covered by her wings. She let us up, and we scrambled to our feet. She carefully propped up Dad against a wall. She carefully looked him over.

"He has a broken leg, and I think a concussion. He should be fine, but at least he is out for-."

She had been feeling around his leg, which was at an odd angle. She quickly set it, with a loud pop. Dad moaned. She then took her sword, cut a piece of her of fabric from her clothes, and looked around. Finding a piece of pipe, she made a crude splint.

She caped her wings around her shoulders. They now looked like a black cloak. I went up to her to say thanks.

She shrugged it off.

"I was having a very dull evening until now," she answered. "Besides, it's what my kind do. Gargoyles protect. You better call an ambulance."

I nodded, and left.

When I got back, she was gone.

Rachel whistled.

"We are one sad bunch of superheroes when someone else has to save us," she sighed.

"I think we got lucky."

She stared at the still burning truck and shrugged.

"Yeah, lucky."

We rode with Dad to the hospital. Mom rushed over, and Dad soon regained consciousness. He would only be in the hospital as long as the needed to give him a few tests, and to put a cast on his leg. I felt faint with relief.

Mom took me home, so I could get some sleep. Rachel and I maybe got a few scrapes and cuts. I had a bump on my head, but nothing serious. We both morphed in the hospital restrooms, so we were fine. 

We got back to the house, and I went to get a shower. I cleaned of the dirt from the ally, and wondered at this new player. Gargoyle, she had called herself. She was female from a human perspective; anyway, she had a sword, and helped people because it was what her people did. I wondered what planet she is from, and how she got here. Then I went to bed.

Later that night, I heard a scraping on my window. Tobias, I thought sleepily. I sat up and went to the window. Opening it, I leaned out, and saw nothing.

"Tobias?" I whispered.

"Um," came a voice from above me. "How's your da?"

I jerked my head up and gasped. It was the gargoyle! 

Unfortunately, I was too far out of my window to keep my balance, and fell.

Two strong, four fingered talons grabbed my wrists. Her wings snapped open, but she didn't have enough time to get aloft. She slowed our descent, and managed to take most of the impact herself.

"Oomph!" she let out.

"Oomph!" I echoed.

I got up, and heard the gargoyle wheeze for air. I offered her my hand, which she took, and I helped her up. She doubled over and fell on the side she had been shot on. I felt something wet and sticky on one of my wrists. I saw red blood there.

"I came to ask how your da was," she coughed.

"Why?"

"Old saying: You save someone's life, your responsible for him."

Now I went over to her and felt her side. There was a deep cut there.

"My Dad and Mom, we have a clinic in our barn. I can get that cleaned up for you, if you'll trust me."

She gazed into my eyes, and nodded. I helped her up again, and she leaned on me. 

In the barn, I turned on the lights to the surgery room, and helped my friend, which I was rapidly coming to think of this person as, sit on the table. I got out gauze and peroxide, and needle and thread. Helping to remove her outer kimono, I got a good look at her.

She was blue, like I said earlier, with very fine pelt of very short fur. Her wings were black on the outside, and a lighter blue on the inside. They were bat-like. She walked on the balls of her feet, and had heel and knee spurs, and a tail. She looked, well, like a gargoyle.

I quickly cleaned and sewed up the gash. She took all my ministrations stoically. Then I began bandaging it. Then I noticed her hand. It was also cut.

"How did this happen?" I questioned softly.

"Oh, I cut myself."

"Why?" I asked, wondering why an otherwise same seeming being would do something so dumb.

"My sword didn't taste blood during the fight. The sword's honor demands that it taste blood before it is resheathed." Her swords, one a katana, the other a tachi, were on the table beside her.

I looked at her like she was crazy.

She gazed back at me steadily.

I changed the subject.

"What planet are you from?" I asked.

"What planet am I from?" she repeated, her voice rising.

"Yeah, well, you're obviously not from around here."

"I'm from Earth, of course. Where else would I be from?"

"But you aren't human."

"No, I'm not."

"Then how can you come from earth?"

"Why is that humans always think that they are the only intelligent species on the planet?" she shot back, but she looked like she was enjoying the discussion.

I asked what she meant.

"Never mind. For the most part, the First race tries to keep themselves secret from humans. It was probably a mistake coming here." She got off the table, but stumbled. I got a feeling that she had lost a lot more blood than she had let on.

"First race?"

"Oh, yeah, you've probably never heard of that. My kind, the gargoyles, is also called the First race. Humans are the Second."

"If you are trying to stay secret, why did you come at all?"

She said," You needed help, Cassie, and I could help you. The reason I came to check on you, is that you didn't run screaming 'monster' when you first saw me."

I thought she sounded lonely. The I remembered-

"Hey, when did you learn my name? I didn't tell you."

"I think your friend said it in the ally."

Well, yes, I thought, she did, but I didn't think that was where she learned it. Call it a gut feeling.

"I followed you to the hospital and back, if your next question is how I got here. And I flew, or rather, I glided."

I looked at her wings a bit enviously.

I touched one.

"If I may?"

"Be my guest."

She stretched it out, and I examined it. It was extremely tough, yet almost delicate. 

"I wish I had wings."

She said, "Have you ever fallen?"

I was about to answer, when I heard a thought speak voice say, Cassie, are you in there?

The gargoyle gasped. She had heard it too.

Ax and I had heard that you were in an accident, and we decided to- what the heck?!

They saw the gargoyle, who had grabbed her sword and was in a ready position. Ax, who had not seen her yet, entered, and jumped. He saw the drawn sword, and attempted to protect me.

He struck!

"Ax! No!"

I could not have expected what happened next.

She parried, and riposted! Again and again they exchanged blows, neither getting the advantage, until I yelled, "ENOUGH!"

They stopped, and stared at me. To my surprise, the gargoyle started giggling. She put her sword in her hand and gave a twist, quickly cutting herself, then cleaned and sheathed it.

"I take it from Cassie's lack of urgency that you are not an enemy, sir. My apologies for over reacting. Though I would like to fence with you again some time. That was fun!"

Peace to you as well, warrior. Few beings in the galaxy are as fast as an Andalite, and you are one of them

I told Ax and Tobias about what had happened earlier.

"My friend, this is Ax and Ax, this is, is... By the way, what's your name? You never told me."

"I, um, well," she floundered.

I have a good name we could use. Said Ax.

He smiled with his eyes.

We could call you Kamikaze. 

"Why that?" I asked.

You said she dived in. I was reading a history about one of your wars and came across that word. It seems appropriate.

Kamikaze grinned hugely. "My kin would say, _very_ appropriate. Um, if it is not to rude to ask- What are you, and how come that hawk can speak, and what are you people?"

I thought this would be coming.

"It started one night when I, my friends Rachel, Jake, Marco and Tobias cut through an old construction site…"

As I told the tail, I wondered how she would react. True, she was far from your normal girl, but any sane creature that had not met a real alien before wouldn't believe it. I still had trouble with it some times.

I wound to a close, and waited, watching her face.

She answered," How can I help?"

Jake

Around one in the morning Rachel called me and told me what had happened to her and Cassie. She wanted to call a meeting for us to discuss something that had happened that she thought we should know about. 

I was concerned, and immediately called Cassie's. 

"Hello?"

"Oh, God, Cass, you have no idea how grateful I am to hear you okay. Rachel just called. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Jake. More than fine. We need to have a meeting tomorrow after school so I can introduce you to some one."

"Um, all right. When?"

"We'll figure that out at school."

"Oh, well, yeah. Bye."

I heard a noise from Kwannon's room. I went to check on her. She was under the covers, snoring slightly. Nothing strange at all.

Kwannon

Boy, did I have an interesting night.

Rachel

I ran into Cassie at school the next day. 

"Hey, Cassie," I called.

"Yup?"

"What are we going to do about that strange person we met yesterday?"

"It's taken care of."

"What? How?"

"I'll have to tell ya later, got math. See ya!"

Jake called a meeting a little later than usual after class at the barn. I got there, and we had to wait on Marco.

When Marco showed up, Cassie started.

"Okay, yesterday Rachel and I were in a wreck. A gang also attacked us. We were surrounded, and we couldn't morph. Then, out of the blue…"

She told the story of what had happened yesterday. Then she told us about what happened after.

"Whoa, Cassie, why didn't you call me?" I complained.

"I didn't seem necessary. Kaze wasn't a danger, and I was about to fall on my face from lack of sleep. We'll meet her in a little bit."

"Why not now?" said Marco. "She could be getting a trap set up for us, with her Yeerk friends. I mean, saying that she comes from earth. Puh-lease."

"She was telling the truth about that, at least," came a voice from the door. Erek entered the barn.

"Cassie figured that the Chee might have had contact with their species over time. We had, but most of us thought that gargoyles went extinct over a thousand years ago."

"So she was telling the truth," Cassie added.

"May be," Erek continued. "I haven't heard anything about a new species being taken over recently. I think she was telling the truth."

"Okay, what now?" I said.

"We wait until sunset."

"Why sunset?" I asked.

"The reason gargoyles are extinct, well, almost extinct, is because they are completely vulnerable during the day. They turn into a stone like substance at dawn, and reawaken at sunset. They can be shattered easily."

"Oh, man," said Marco " Talk about your hard sleepers."

We all groaned.

Marco

We sat in the barn until nightfall. Then there was a light thump on the barn roof, and a slight scraping noise. A shadow fell across the door, and the gargoyle, Kamikaze, as we were calling her, entered.

I kind of stared. She was different, all right, but she was also very, _human._

She didn't have the otherworldly feel that Ax or one of the Hork-Bajir gave you when you met them. She was, unmistakably, a native of earth.

Cool.

Introductions were made. She bowed at each one, then shook hands. For some reason, this felt familiar. Well, she looked kind of familiar, too. I just couldn't place her, yet.

Well, later I'll figure it out.

Aximili

That night I was watching T. V. in my scoop with Tobias, when I heard a human footstep. I arched my tail, ready to fight, then relaxed it, when I saw that it was Emrys. Cassie had told us that she had just wanted to talk. I was fine with that.

"Hello, youngster. How are you?" she asked casually.

I am well, and you are?

"Well, I suppose. Bird brother, how was today's hunting?"

Tobias, who was preening himself, answered, Fine.

"What is new?"

Nothing much, except… I couldn't decide whether to tell her about Kamikaze or not. Well, as human's say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

We met a gargoyle today.

"You did WHAT?" she shrieked.

I was shocked. This person, who had always seemed so calm and self possessed, was bug eyed. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

I take it you have heard of them?

She coughed and regained her composure.

"Y-yes, yes I have. I have always had the greatest respect for the First race. Did the one you met give you a name?"

No, but we are calling her Kamikaze. I was puzzled.

"Did she say where she was from?"

No, she didn't. Why are you so bothered?

"I have not seen a member of the First race in a long time."

That doesn't answer my question.

She sighed, and turned around. "No, it doesn't."

Yes, I am leaving it hanging again. It would be way to long to read, otherwise. Tell me what you think. 


	3. Default Chapter Title

****

Eternally Yours 3: I Live My Life Again

Aximili

Tobias and I pondered the meaning of Emrys reaction to the news of the gargoyle. The meaning was still unclear. Very few people knew about gargoyles. There were a lot of unexplained things about Emrys, too. We would have to be careful, and watch. She might give something away.

Jake

We went to school the next day, the way we usually do. Kwannon came with us on the bus.

"Jake-san, does that boy usually behave like that?" she asked, pointing.

The guy she was pointing at was named Todd, and he was a jerk in general. He was the type that would stuff a person's head down a toilet, steal their lunch money, and basically beat up any body who was in his way. He was easily six and a half feet tall, and had no neck or forehead. I think he was an actual Neanderthal. 

No one would turn him in, because he was the star quarterback for our football team in the high school. Like in most high schools, here, football was king.

Todd was picking on this little nerdy fifth grader. The kid already sported a black eye and broken glasses, apparently where he had crossed paths with Todd earlier. 

"Come on, dweeb, hand over the money," he demanded.

I was watching, and had to grab Kwannon's arm to keep her from jumping up to stop him. I had tried that once, and had had two weeks of detention, and two black eyes. That guy was simply too big.

"Stop," I hissed. "He doesn't care if you're a girl or not. He'll beat you to death."

Her smile back at me was nasty. "I hope he tries." But she stayed in her seat.

Later that day we had a mission. Erek had told us that Visser 3 was going to try to get the book from where the Chee had hidden it. Kamikaze was going with us, on sort of a trial run.

Throughout that day at school, I would run into Kwannon, and she would look disgustedly at me. She had wanted to fight that guy. I still couldn't believe that she was serious.

We met in the barn that night. We watched as Kaze quietly swooped in, and gracefully landed. A question occurred to me.

"Kaze, how old are you?"

"Twenty-seven, Jake."

"Your that old?"

"My people age slower than humans do, at about half the rate."

"So, you're what, thirteen or fourteen?"

"Yes, Jake-san."

"What did you just say?"

"I said, 'Yes, Jake.'"

"I could have sworn that, oh well. Everyone ready?"

Nods all around.

"Let's do it!" shouted Rachel, and we started to morph.

We were going in cockroach morph, and Kaze, who didn't have the morphing power, was going to carry us there. How, boy.

I started morphing late, so I could watch her reaction to the morphing. A mixture of disgust and fascination was on her face.

"Does it hurt?" she asked intently.

"No, the morphing technology deadens the pain," I replied.

"Strange, and to think…"

"Think what?" I started to say, but I lost my mouth.

We all finished. I felt her carefully pick me up, and place me in a pocket. I picked up vibrations of crunching, and I heard a snap, as wings caught the wind. It was different than flying. Instead of owning the wind, we were the playthings of it. Rising and falling, drifting and swooping, it didn't take us that long to get there, but if I had been human, I think I would have lost my supper.

I felt a soft bump, and I knew that we had landed. A talon gently placed us on the ground and we demorphed. We were on top of a nearby warehouse. Kaze had caped her wings, and she was almost invisible. I looked over at the building that the book had been kept in. The plan was that we had to make the Yeerks think that we had hidden it there. The book had already been moved to Cassie's barn, but we had to make the Yeerks think it was actually here. Otherwise, they might get suspicious about a spy. We had to protect the Chee.

We watched some Hork-Bajir Controllers go inside. They left two guards behind. I nodded to Kaze. She opened her wings, and silently launched. She glided around to behind the Controllers, then dived, shrieking for all she was worth, her eyes glowing red. The ploy worked, and they followed her.

The rest of us got into battle morphs. We hunched down, and carefully snuck off the roof.

We got in.

LIGHT!

We were surrounded by Hork-Bajir and Taxxons. Then we heard a menacing, cackling laughter.

Visser 3!

He was standing on a walkway on the second floor that overlooked the warehouse. He wasn't alone. Selene, and a human guy we didn't know, watched us mockingly. 

"As I promised, Visser 3. The "Andalite Bandits". Would you like me to make them demorph for you?"

Yes, milady. If you would be so kind. He smiled.

"Very well, chan-" she cut off, and both her and the gut stiffened, as if they had heard something they didn't like.

"Yo, Carla!" came a voice from the entrance.

Emrys entered. "I am Emrys. I challenge you." 

"You _dare?_ You speak my real name? I am Selene now. I am the Betrayer of Hope! When they named you, you scorned it, but I have embraced it. I and the Destroyer have come to finish you!" she snarled. She looked at the guy she was with, and he jumped from the railing, an impossible height for a human to manage. He drew a kris broad sword.

"I accept your challenge, Emrys. I am the Destroyer."

"Oh, get with the nineties, Sammel. That is just so cliché."

She drew from her battered coat a Scottish clanmore. Gripping it in a kendo guard, she yelled, "Let's get this over with!" and swung.

Marco told me later that he thought of it as a wrestling match with swords. We didn't stop, though. Kaze swooped in after Emrys, and started attacking Controllers with her own sword drawn. We took advantage of the distraction to make a break for it. We almost managed to get to the door before the Controllers and the Trollocs realized what we were doing. Then they attacked en masse. I spared a glance towards Emrys. She was winning!

She parried, landed a round house kick, and turned it into a hook-kick, sending Sammel to the ground. She dashed over to us, and joined our fight. She threw a butterfly kick, ending a Taxxon's run on Tobias. Her sword was faster than the Hork-Bajir blades, and several of them lost limbs. I could see that she had been injured, in some cases badly. She barely blocked a Trolloc blade when a Hork-Bajir came from behind. She whirled to face it, but it managed to slice her open. I heard her grunt, as her entrails went spilling to the floor. That was the last I saw of her before I had to tend more to my own battles.

Rachel

This time, I knew no demon was going to rescue us. I was barely keeping ahead of them this time. I had morphed elephant, and I was grateful for my tough skin. I had seen Emrys go down, and heard a chilling howl come from Kamikaze as she did. Kaze rushed over, fending off several Taxxons who had come to feast, and helped her to her feet. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. She got up, and kept fighting. She gestured with her bloody sword.

"The way is clear to the roof! Run for it!"

Boy, did we run. 

Kaze and Emrys held them off while we ran to the stairs. We scraped through the door, and onto the roof. Kaze streaked through, and Emrys slammed the door shut. She yelled something in what sounded sort of like Latin, and there was no door there, only a blank wall. We demorphed.

"Come on, you all. You have got to get out of hear before Carla figures out how I blocked the door."

Jake stared at her disbelievingly. He went over to her and touched her midsection. His hand came away bloody, but the skin was unbroken.

"What are you?" he whispered.

"Not now, I'll have to tell you later. It's a long- Oh, damn," she cursed, and turned around. We all saw Sammel grin sardonically at her. He was standing on the edge of the roof. He held a struggling Kaze.

Kaze tried to scream, but his hand covered her mouth. I knew how strong the gargoyle was. He couldn't be human. Well, neither could Emrys.

"You hurt one hair on that girl's head, Sammel, and I will crush your bones into powder, and put you head on a pike," she spat.

"Oh, come my dear. All I want your is head. Shall we finish our dance?"  
"Let her-" she paused and looked around. "Let all of them go."

"As you wish," he said, and threw Kaze to the ground.

I looked at Emrys. She face was pinched. She went over to the gargoyle 

and helped her up. The look of concern on the woman's face made me wonder…

"So that's the way it is, is it? You would dare, even think about such a? You freak. You would _dare_ breed with a gargoyle? You would produce such a filthy thing as a crossbreed? You filthy excuse for a human! I should have killed your daughter and been done with it!" he shrieked, his voice rising.

I looked at Kaze in shock. She was drawing her sword, and standing ready. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"To the death, Sammel, Destroyer of Hope."

He snarled wordlessly.

This fight was nothing like anything I had seen before, there was so much raw hate in it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she disarmed him, and he came to his knees.

She raised her clanmore above her head.

"There can be only-_gurp,_" she started, but couldn't finish it, because he had shot her.

Guns? I thought. After all this sword slashing, he uses an ordinary gun?

Only then did I notice that the wall she had created was taking a pounding, and that police cars had arrived. We had to leave.

Somehow Emrys managed to stand, and then she jumped off the building. We left quickly, even though we hated ourselves for it. We met back at the barn.

Kaze had a long shallow scrape right at the base of her neck. Cassie was treating it. Frankly, I wanted to know how she had a human mother, and how Emrys was it.

"Well, Kaze," I said. "You certainly have some explaining to do."

"Yeah, I suppose I do."

"Well?" 

She sighed, then grunted as Cassie finished stitching her up. "Can it wait until tomorrow? Please?" She spread her hands in a helpless gesture.

Seeing how she was hurt, I let it go, for now.

Marco

I was on the bus the next day with Jake and Kwannon. Jake looked as beat as I felt. Kwannon would just sit, staring at nothing, occasionally touching the side of her neck. For some reason I noticed that. Then Todd, the bully, started picking on a little kid, the way he usually does.

Kwannon stood up, and told him to stop.

He started, like he couldn't believe that anyone would even think to tell him to stop. He glared at her, and she smiled back sweetly.

"Little girl, you just messed with the wrong guy," he roared, and took a swing at her. She caught his hand in her fist, and tossed him casually into a seat. He looked at her in astonishment. Of course, everyone looked at her in astonishment, and we all applauded. She returned to her seat.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked.

"Back home," she said grimly. "I have been well trained to be a warrior. I have little patience with those who pick on those smaller than themselves."

"Hey, Jap!" Todd shouted. "You and me, tonight at the old church. You hear?"

"Yes, my hearing is quite good. I will be there. You had better bring some friends, or you may never find your all your missing pieces."

"You're insane," I said calmly.

"I might," she responded. "Or," she gave me a funny smile," I might be living up to my nickname."

Cassie

Jake had told us what Kwannon was up to. I couldn't believe it. That was possibly the stupidest or bravest thing I have ever heard of anyone doing. Todd is legandary. If he doesn't get her, his friends will.

We had all decided to go as her backup. I was probably going to have to stitch her up later. 

We found Kwannon already there, doing warm ups.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"We're witnesses. We may be needed to identify the body later," cracked Marco.

"Not funny," interrupted Rachel.

I looked at what Kwannon had on. She was wearing a plain black sweat shirt, and equally dark slacks. They were clothes that blended well with the falling darkness. As she did stretches, I saw her wince.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"Oh, I think pulled something yesterday," she answered. 

Todd and his cohorts arrived. They all started laughing and joking about how bad Todd was going to hurt Kwannon. At least, I hope they were joking.

"Hey, what are these guys doing here?" Todd complained.

"What about them?" Kwannon shot back. I noticed that her Japanese accent had faded altogether. In fact, she sounded faintly Scottish.

Todd snorted, and lunged. She dodged him neatly, and he recovered. He tried a punch, but she easily blocked it up. Again and again he tried to hit her, but she effortlessly ducked, bobbed and weaved, wearing him down. She started landing jabs of her own, and very soon Todd had a cut lip, bleeding nose and a black eye. 

Todd yelped, "Help!"

His friends rushed to him, and they started swinging wildly. Kwannon ducked and side kicked, catching one, and he went down. Another caught her with a blow to the neck. She staggered at that, and clutched at her throat. Her hand came away bloody. Her eyes burned red.

I gasped, as a lot of unexplained things came together.

Her eyes returned to normal, and she used a turning back kick and a round house combination to take down the guy who had hit her. There was only one left besides Todd. She hit him in the fist with a backfist, and he crumpled. She smiled at Todd. I couldn't see her face, but I could see his. He blanched, and ran. Kwannon staggered away, and fell to her hands and knees. She was breathing hard. I walked over to help her up. She didn't take my hand. I gently touched her neck, and she cringed away from me. She got to her feet, and refused to look at me. She walked quickly to behind the church. I heard a soft moaning, and the sound of cloth ripping.

Tobias, who was in the trees, watching the whole thing, gasped. 

Oh, my lord. Jake! Everybody, she's Kamikaze!

We dashed over. We saw Kaze sitting there in Kwannon's torn clothing. Her head was between her knees.

"When I, I lose control of my emotions, I can't stay human," she rasped.

"It fits," I whisper. "She's a crossbreed, so she can become a gargoyle."

She gave me a pained, but amused, look. "You've got it backwards. I'm a gargoyle that can become a human."

"Well, actually, she's a quarter-breed. One fourth gargoyle, one fourth human, one fourth fey, one fourth demon."

"Huh?" we all chorused.

Emrys walked out to us.

"But, but we saw you-"

"Fall off a building, I know. That is part of the long story I was going to tell you about. Since you all seem to be a part of it now, I guess you have the right to know."

"Mommy?" Kwannon whispered.

Emrys answered," Good to see you, sweetheart," and went over to hug her.

They had a rapid conversation in Japanese. Kwannon gestured often, while Emrys looked very stern. I could see the look that a mother has when her child has been misbehaving. Eventually, Emrys put her head in her hands and said, "Oh, my head. Love, you are way too much like your folks for your own good. The Light knows that it has gotten me killed more than a few times, and it did your-" she choked.

She faced the Animorphs.

"All right. We need a place to talk."

Tobias

When I had seen Kwannon become Kaze, I didn't know what to think.

We decided to go to Ax's scoop. It would be fairly quiet and isolated there.

Jake started calmly," Okay, Emrys, we've been patient. One: how are you Kwannon's, or Kaze's, mother? Two: Why aren't you dead? Three: what is the deal with the swords? And Four: HOW THE HELL DOES ALL THIS FIT TOGETHER?!"

"Calm down, Jake."

Emrys sat cross legged and began her story.

"I am immortal. I can not die unless someone takes off my head. If I am injured, I heal. There is an entire race of us. We don't know where we came from, we just know that we have to fight until there is only one left. Some are good, some are bad. If you kill an immortal, and you are one yourself, you take their power, called the Quickening. As to how I am Kwannon's mother, around a thousand years ago I met a gargoyle, fell in love with him, and we wanted children. He wasn't an ordinary gargoyle, he was half-fey; his mother was a member of the Third race. The Fair folk. They are powerful mages, and they could probably produce a viable offspring with a tree should one of them so desire. They can shape sift. I am half demon, a kind of sub class among the Fey.

That is how we were able to cross fertilize. Normally an immortal of my type can't have children, but because of our half breed heritages, we were able to overcome that, though I have no idea how.

I can shape shift, and so could my mate." Again, she choked.

How old are you? I asked.

"Um, let's see. I think over 6,000 or so."

"He's dead, isn't he?" said Cassie, softly.

Tears welling in her eyes, Emrys nodded.

"Dad's dead?" exclaimed Kwannon.

Again, she nodded. Tears started to run down Kwannon's face.

"How?"

"I don't know. We had decided to sleep as stone that day, and when I woke up, a landslide had crushed him. I couldn't do anything. I can't heal death. I can't heal anything anymore."

Kwannon hugged her mother, and started crying.

"Whoa," said Jake.

I 'm sorry, Kwannon. I whispered.

Everyone echoed the sentiment.

Emrys handed Kwannon a tissue. "Blow."

I wish I could have smiled. She loved her daughter.

"So," said Marco. "How does all this fit together?"

Rachel pinched him.

"Ouch! What did I say?"

"Yes, Emrys," said a voice from the woods. "How does all this fit together?"

"I was wondering if you would show up, Sammel," she said, unsurprised.

She drew her clanmore.

"I was in the neighborhood, Old One," he responded, and flicked his hand.

There was a popping sound, and a flash of light, and Emrys was replaced with the Ancient, wearing Emrys clothes.

"Oh, dear. I am sick of you, you know that? Well, you know the drill as well as I do. There can be only one!"

This time, she killed him. His head rolled at her feet, and there was a lightening display that would have made any special effects person proud.

The Old One snorted. 

"I'm glad I got old Jack, finally."

"What was the deal with him?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, him? He was Jack the Ripper once. He was called the Destroyer of Hope for even longer. That is a very long story. Well, Emrys isn't what I think my name was when I was younger. I don't remember any more. There is a war going on between the Creator and the Dark One, each chooses tools to work through, and I got the dubious pleasure of being "it" from time to time for the Creator. Selene's story was that she was once a normal girl until she got the choice to pick sides. She chose the other. That's about it."

"What?" we all said.

Comments?


	4. Default Chapter Title

****

Eternally Yours 3: I Live My Life Again

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to Scholastic, and I make several references the Wheel of Time, which belongs to Robert Jordan. I am not making any money. Highlander belongs to someone other than me.

Aximili

Tobias and I pondered the meaning of Emrys reaction to the news of the gargoyle. The meaning was still unclear. Very few people knew about gargoyles. There were a lot of unexplained things about Emrys, too. We would have to be careful, and watch. She might give something away.

Jake

We went to school a week later, the way we usually do. Kwannon came with us on the bus.

Marco and I talked about what had happened.

"Just when you think that life can't get any weirder, they throw in gargoyles," said Marco.

Silently I agreed. "Who're 'they'?" I asked.

Marco rolled his eyes. "The irony gods, who else?"

"I don't know. I talked to Ax. He said something about it not being that strange for more than one sentient species to evolve on a planet. He used a lot more words, though. Besides, Cassie likes her. They have been talking. They invited Rachel and had a ladies' night out. I don't want to even think about what they got into. Even Rachel seems to be warming to her. I think she could be useful. She's stronger than any human, probably more than a Hork-Bajir. She even beat Ax at a fencing thing. Cassie said it was really cool to watch."

We had been keeping the conversation quiet, and Kwannon asked a question. I hadn't heard, so she repeated it. 

"Jake-san, does that boy usually behave like that?" she asked, pointing.

The guy she was pointing at was named Todd, and he was a jerk in big way. He was the type that would stuff a person's head down a toilet, steal their lunch money, and basically beat up any body who was in his way. He was easily six and a half feet tall, and had no neck or forehead. I think he was an actual Neanderthal. 

No one would turn him in, because he was the star quarterback for our football team in the high school. Like in most high schools, here, football was king.

Todd was picking on this little nerdy fifth grader. The kid already sported a black eye and broken glasses, apparently where he had crossed paths with Todd earlier. 

"Come on, dweeb, hand over the money," he demanded.

I was watching, and had to grab Kwannon's arm to keep her from jumping up to stop him. I had tried that once, and had had two weeks of detention, and two black eyes. That guy was simply too big, even if I wanted to morph tiger and rip him a few new holes.

"Stop," I hissed. "He doesn't care if you're a girl or not. He'll beat you to death."

Her smile back at me was nasty. "I hope he tries." But she stayed in her seat.

I started feeling annoyed. Kwannon wasn't easy to live with. She disappeared frequently, she had trouble understanding English, and she had a temper. I wished I had Kaze as an exchange student, instead of Kwannon. 

Throughout that day at school, I would run into Kwannon, and she would look disgustedly at me. She had wanted to fight that guy. I still couldn't believe that she was serious. I ran into Erek. He looked worried.

"Hey, Erek!" I waved, getting his attention. "Do you have tha homework assignment I needed?"

He took the hint, and came over. I opened my notebook and started showing him a blank piece of paper. He nodded, and pantomimed looking over my page. He then projected his hologram out around us.

"What's up?" I whispered, feeling worried.

"Somehow, they found out were we were keeping that book. We put it in an old warehouse, with minimum guard. We figured that no one would think to look there. "

"Well, move it then."

"Not so simple. I and the other Chee guarding it are not going t be allowed near the building tonight, when they go to get it. She knows something is up with us, Jake. Selene knows we aren't human, or Controllers."

"Then why hasn't she told Visser 3 yet?"

"This may sound weird, but I think she isn't allowed to. Remember what the Old One said about rules? I think there is one that has to do with that. I just wish I knew what. Man, life was so much easier when all we had to worry about included science."

I smiled, despite my new worry. "Aren't you who told Marco about more things in Earth and heaven?"

"Yeah," he grumbled. "Through my own words back at me." He sighed, and left.

I called a meeting at the barn.

We all arrived, and had started discussing what we were going to do, when Kaze swooped in. We all looked at her in surprise. 

Cassie looked sheepish.

"I invited her tonight to go over some basic vet stuff. She was interested in how the clinic worked. It was before this came up," she finished, crossing her arms defensively.

"Is something wrong, Jake?" said Kaze, in her faint Scottish accent. "Did I interrupt something? I can leave, if you want."

"No, well, yeah, you did, but you can stay." I looked at her wings, and a idea started to take form. "In fact, you might be able to help us."

Her eye ridges shot up. "How?"

I started to outline the problem to her. The main obstacle we had was getting in. Erek had said that the warehouse was being watched constantly, until after midnight, when they would break in. We had to get in without being noticed. We needed at distraction. We would morph cockroaches and have Kamikaze carry us. They would see her, and chase her. She would put us on the roof, and we would sneak in. If we could do this before they realized we were there, they would never know that we had taken the book. I hoped.

"Totally crazy and suicidal," commented Marco. "Typical Jake."

"I like it," said Rachel and Kaze at the same time. They exchanged looks and a wry grin. I sighed. Rachel was bad enough, I thought, but did she have to have a gargoyle clone? Oh, Lord. 

With no further adeiu, we changed into our morphing outfits. Everyone else started morphing to cockroach, but I stalled a little, and watched Kamikaze's reaction. This was the first time she had ever seen this. I wondered how she would react.

As my friends mutated, her face betrayed an expression of fascination and disgust. Her eyes were as round as plates when she asked softly-

"Does it hurt?"

"No," I answered. "The morphing technology deadens any pain."

"And to think, that I -" she stopped.

"Think wha-" I cut off, because I had lost my mouth.

Before I had taken over the roach's senses, I felt a talon gently pick me up and place me in a pocket. I checked in with the others. All were on board. We heard a faint crunching, and a snap, as Kaze's wings opened. She leapt, and we were off. I realized the difference she had stated about flying and gliding. Instead of owning the wind, we were the plaything off it. We fell, rose, spiraled, and dived. It was surprisingly fast, but I was glad I wasn't human. I would have lost my dinner.

I felt a light thump, and I knew we had landed. We were fished from a pocket and deposited on the roof. We started to demorph, and Kaze looked at me expectantly. I nodded, and she launched herself from the edge of the building silently. Her sword now drawn, she made a shrieking run on the Hork-Bajir Controllers guarding the doors. The ploy worked, and they followed her. 

The rest of us got into battle morphs. We hunched down, and carefully sneaked off the roof.

We got in. My nose caught an odor of something wrong.

LIGHT!

We were surrounded by Hork-Bajir and Taxxons. Trollocs ringed the walkways around the second level.

Then we heard a menacing, cackling laughter.

Visser 3!

He was standing on a walkway on the second floor that overlooked the warehouse. He wasn't alone. Selene, and a human guy we didn't know, watched us mockingly. 

"As I promised, Visser 3, the "Andalite bandits", " said Selene.

Visser 3 just howled with laughter. 

I looked up, and saw an opening in a skylight.

Tobias! I shouted to him. Look up, and go!

Tobias obeyed. Flapping for all he was worth, he made it out with a few less tail feathers.

Well, O fearless leader, what now, Asked Marco.

I looked around at the horde of Controllers and Trollocs.

We pray. 

Tobias

I was flying madly, without any thought of what to do next. I just knew I had to get help. But who? Who?

I saw a flash of blue over some dead Hork-Bajir. 

Kaze!

I swung down to her, and landed on a fire escape.

Kaze, captured, help, NOW! I sputtered.

"Calm down!" she hissed. "What happened?"

I told her.

She went pale. I mean, light blue. 

"This is bad. Really, really bad. I can take down a few, but there is no way that the two of us can rescue them, especially from that many."

I thought of someone who _might_ be able to help us. Three is more than two, anyway.

I told Kamikaze my idea.

We got a strange friend in the woods. Her name is Emrys. She might me able to help, I hope.

Kaze went even paler. "Who?"

I'll tell you en route. Let's get going.

We got to the scoop, and I started calling Emrys name. Kaze joined in. 

From behind us (why always behind us?) came Emrys.

She gasped. She said something in Japanese. Kaze answered her. I was starting to get confused.

I take it you to know each other?

"You could say that. What brings you to me, so late?" Emrys responded.

I told her.

Jake

Things were getting worse.

"Well, Visser, I grow bored with this game. Shall I make your enemies demorph for you?" Selene asked, gleefully.

I would love it if you did so, my lady.

"Very well, chan-" she cut off, and both she and the guy stiffened, as if they had heard something they didn't like.

"Yo, Carla!" came a voice from the entrance.

Emrys entered. "I am Emrys. I challenge you." 

"You _dare?_ You speak my real name? I am Selene now. I am the Betrayer of Hope! When they named you, you scorned it, but I have embraced it. I and the Destroyer have come to finish you!" she snarled. She looked at the guy she was with, and he jumped from the railing, an impossible height for a human to manage. He drew a kris broad sword.

"I accept your challenge, Emrys. I am the Destroyer."

"Oh, get with the nineties, Sammel. That is just so cliché."

She drew from her battered coat a Scottish clanmore. Gripping it in a kendo guard, she yelled, "Let's get this over with!" and swung.

Marco told me later that he thought of it as a wrestling match with swords. We didn't stop and stare, though. Kaze swooped in after Emrys, and started attacking Controllers with her own sword drawn. Tobias followed, diving at eyes. We took advantage of the distraction to make a break for it. We almost managed to get to the door before the Controllers and the Trollocs realized what we were doing. Then they attacked en masse. I spared a glance towards Emrys. She was winning!

She parried, landed a round house kick, and turned it into a hook-kick, sending Sammel to the ground. She dashed over to us, and joined our fight. She threw a butterfly kick, ending a Taxxon's run on Tobias. Her sword was faster than the Hork-Bajir blades, and several of them lost limbs. I could see that she had been injured, in some cases badly. She barely blocked a Trolloc blade when a Hork-Bajir came from behind. She whirled to face it, but it managed to slice her open. I heard her grunt, as her entrails went spilling to the floor. That was the last I saw of her before I had to tend more to my own battles.

Rachel

This time, I knew no demon was going to rescue us. I was barely keeping ahead of them this time. I had morphed elephant, and I was grateful for my tough skin. I had seen Emrys go down, and heard a chilling howl come from Kamikaze as she did. Kaze rushed over, fending off several Taxxons who had come to feast, and helped her to her feet. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. She got up, and kept fighting. She gestured with her bloody sword.

"The way is clear to the roof! Run for it!"

Boy, did we run. 

Kaze and Emrys held them off while we ran to the stairs. We scraped through the door, and onto the roof. Kaze streaked through, and Emrys slammed the door shut. She yelled something in what sounded sort of like Latin, and there was no door there, only a blank wall. We demorphed.

"Come on, you all. You have got to get out of hear before Carla figures out how I blocked the door."

Jake stared at her disbelievingly. He went over to her and touched her midsection. His hand came away bloody, but the skin was unbroken.

"What are you?" he whispered.

"Not now, I'll have to tell you later. It's a long- Oh, damn," she cursed, and spun around. We all saw Sammel grin sardonically at her. He was standing on the edge of the roof. He held a struggling Kaze.

Kaze tried to scream, but his hand covered her mouth. I knew how strong the gargoyle was. He couldn't be human. Well, neither could Emrys.

"You hurt one hair on that girl's head, Sammel, and I will crush your bones into powder, and put you head on a pike," she spat.

"Oh, come my dear. All I want your is head. Shall we finish our dance?"  
"Let her-" she paused and looked around. "Let all of them go."

"As you wish," he said, and threw Kaze to the ground.

I looked at Emrys. She face was pinched. She went over to the gargoyle and helped her up. I remembered seeing similarities in their fighting styles and the way Kaze reacted when she was hurt. The look of concern on the woman's face made me wonder… I saw the same thoughts running through Sammel's head. He leaped to a far different conclusion.

"So that's the way it is, is it? You would dare, even think about such a? You freak. You would _dare_ breed with a gargoyle? You would produce such a filthy thing as a crossbreed? You filthy excuse for a human! I should have killed your daughter and been done with it!" he shrieked, his voice rising.

I looked at Kaze in shock. She was drawing her sword, and standing ready. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"To the death, Sammel, Destroyer of Hope."

He snarled wordlessly.

This fight was nothing like anything I had seen before; there was so much raw hate in it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she disarmed him, and he came to his knees.

She raised her clanmore above her head.

"There can be only-_gurp,_" she started, but couldn't finish it, because he had shot her.

Guns? I thought. After all this sword slashing, he uses an ordinary gun?

Only then did I notice that the wall she had created was taking a pounding, and that police cars had arrived. We had to leave.

Somehow, Emrys managed to stand, and staggered over to the edge. Kaze and I ran over to help her.

"Don't!" she gargled, bubbles of blood running from her mouth. "I will live, and would only be a burden to you. Go, Rachel. Go, daughter!"

The others had already morphed out and were starting to fly off. I was about to join them when the wall fell. Kaze grabbed me and jumped from the building. I craned my neck, and screamed when I saw Emrys do the same.

We left quickly, although we hated ourselves for it. We met back at the barn.

Kaze had a long shallow scrape right at the base of her neck. Cassie was treating it. Frankly, I wanted to know how she had a human mother, and how Emrys was it.

"Well, Kaze," I said. "You certainly have some explaining to do."

"Yeah, I suppose I do."

"Well?" 

She sighed, then grunted as Cassie finished stitching her up. "Can it wait until tomorrow? Please?" She spread her hands in a helpless gesture.

Seeing how she was hurt, I let it go, for now.

Marco

I was on the bus the next day with Jake and Kwannon. Jake looked as beat as I felt. Kwannon would just sit, staring at nothing, occasionally touching the side of her neck. For some reason I noticed that. Then Todd, the bully, started picking on a little kid, the way he usually does.

Kwannon stood up, and told him to stop.

He started, as if he couldn't believe that anyone would even think to tell him to stop. He glared at her, and she smiled back sweetly.

"Little girl, you just messed with the wrong guy," he roared, and took a swing at her. She caught his hand in her fist, and tossed him casually into a seat. He looked at her in astonishment. Of course, everyone looked at her in astonishment, and we all applauded. She returned to her seat.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked.

"Back home," she said grimly, with her usual thick accent. "I have been well trained to be a warrior. I have little patience with those who pick on those smaller than themselves."

"Hey, Jap!" Todd shouted. "You and me, tonight at 6:00 at the old church. You hear?"

"Yes, my hearing is quite good. I will be there. You had better bring some friends, or you may never find your all your missing pieces."

"You're insane," I said calmly.

"I might," she responded. "Or," she gave me a funny smile," I might be living up to my new nickname."

Cassie

Jake had told us what Kwannon was up to. I couldn't believe it. That was possibly the stupidest or bravest thing I have ever heard of anyone doing. Todd is legandary. If he doesn't get her, his friends will.

We had all decided to go as her backup. I was probably going to have to stitch her up later. 

We found Kwannon already there, doing warm ups.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"We're witnesses. We may be needed to identify the body later," cracked Marco.

"Not funny," interrupted Rachel.

I looked at what Kwannon had on. She was wearing a plain black sweat shirt, and equally dark slacks. They were clothes that blended well with the falling darkness. As she did stretches, I saw her wince.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"Oh, I think pulled something yesterday," she answered. 

Todd and his cohorts arrived. They all started laughing and joking about how bad Todd was going to hurt Kwannon. At least, I hope they were joking.

"Hey, what are these guys doing here?" Todd complained.

"What about them?" Kwannon shot back. I noticed that her Japanese accent had faded altogether. In fact, she sounded faintly Scottish.

Todd snorted, and lunged. She dodged him neatly, and he recovered. He tried a punch, but she easily blocked it up. Again and again he tried to hit her, but she effortlessly ducked, bobbed and weaved, wearing him down. She started landing jabs of her own, and very soon Todd had a cut lip, bleeding nose and a black eye. 

Todd yelped, "Help!"

His friends rushed to him, and they started swinging wildly. Kwannon ducked and side kicked, catching one, and he went down. Another caught her with a blow to the neck. She staggered at that, and clutched at her throat. Her hand came away bloody. Her eyes burned red.

I gasped, as a lot of unexplained things came together.

Her eyes returned to normal, and she used a turning back kick and a round house combination to take down the guy who had hit her. There was only one left besides Todd. She hit him in the head with a backfist, and he crumpled. She smiled at Todd. I couldn't see her face, but I could see his. He blanched, and ran. Kwannon staggered away, and fell to her hands and knees. She was breathing hard. I walked over to help her up. She didn't take my hand. I gently touched her neck, and she cringed away from me. She got to her feet, and refused to look at me. She staggered quickly behind the church. We followed. 

We found her curled up tightly beneath a tree. She was sobbing in pain. Sweat was standing on her face. She looked like she was wrestling with herself. I checked her over. Her eyes were dialated, and she was shaking. She looked like she was going into shock.

"Kwannon, let me get a good look at your neck. I saw where he hit you. You may be losing a lot of blood."

She cringed away, but there was nothing she could do, she was that weak. She bit her lip, and focused her attention inward. Her breathing deepened, and she looked like she was trying to mediate. I gently pulled the collar of her sweat shirt down. I saw a long, shallow scrape, and a place that had needed stitches, and it was reopened and bleeding. My heart thumped. 

"Well, Kamikaze," I said, loudly enough that everyone else could hear me. "When were you going to tell us about your real name?"

I started inspecting her for the other wounds I had treated. They were all there.

Rachel came over and stared first. The rest joined her.

"Kaze?" Rachel said softly, sounding betrayed. She gently touched Kwannon's neck. Kwannon inhaled sharply, and started to growl. She got to her hands and knees, and started to change. To her moans and shrieks of pain, a pair of wings, tail, and everything else that went with it ripped through her clothes. When the transformation was complete, an exhausted Kaze sat with her head between her knees, wearing Kwannon's clothes.

We all kind of gaped at her.

Her head came up, and she said,"Sorry if that looked strange, but I can't stay human when I loose control of my emotions."

We still just stared.

"Weird," said Marco.

"Double weird," added Jake.

Kaze winced, and tried to get up. She looked like hell, to tell you the truth. She didn't get very far.

"It fits," I whispered. "She's a crossbreed, so she can become a gargoyle."

She gave me a pained, but amused, look. "You've got it backwards. I'm a gargoyle that can become a human."

"Well, actually, she's a quarter-breed. One fourth gargoyle, one fourth human, one fourth fey, one fourth demon."

"Huh?" we all chorused.

Emrys walked out to us.

"But, but we saw you-"

"Fall off a building, I know. That is part of the long story I was going to tell you about. Since you all seem to be a part of it now, I guess you have the right to know."

"HI, Mom," Kwannon whispered.

Emrys answered," Good to see you, sweetheart," and went over to hug her.

They had a rapid conversation in Japanese. Kwannon gestured often, while Emrys looked very stern. I could see the look that a mother has when her child has been misbehaving. Eventually, Emrys put her head in her hands and said, "Oh, my head. Love, you are way too much like your folks for your own good. The Light knows that it has gotten me killed more than a few times, and it did your-" she choked.

She faced the Animorphs.

"All right. We need a place to talk."

Tobias

When I had seen Kwannon become Kaze, I didn't know what to think.

We decided to go to Ax's scoop. It would be fairly quiet and isolated there.

Jake started calmly," Okay, Emrys, we've been patient. One: how are you Kwannon's, or Kaze's, mother? Two: Why aren't you dead? Three: what is the deal with the swords? And Four: HOW THE HELL DOES ALL THIS FIT TOGETHER?!"

"Calm down, Jake."

Emrys sat cross legged and began her story.

"I am immortal. I can not die unless someone takes off my head. If I am injured, I heal. There is an entire race of us. We don't know where we came from, we just know that we have to fight until there is only one left. Some are good, some are bad. If you kill an immortal, and you are one yourself, you take their power, called the Quickening. As to how I am Kwannon's mother, around a thousand years ago I met a gargoyle, fell in love with him, and we wanted children. He wasn't an ordinary gargoyle, he was half-fey; his mother was a member of the Third race. The Fair folk. They are powerful mages, and they could probably produce a viable offspring with a tree should one of them so desire. They can shape sift. I am half demon, a kind of sub class among the Fey.That is how we were able to cross fertilize. Normally an immortal of my type can't have children, but because of our half breed heritages, we were able to overcome that, though I have no idea how.

I can shape shift, and so could my mate." Again, she choked.

How old are you? I asked.

"Um, let's see. I think over 6,000 or so."

"What happened to you and Dad?" asked Kwannon. "You left for the States three years ago, I hadn't heard from you since. Where IS Dad anyway? If you are here, he wouldn't be far behind."

I was still having trouble wrapping my brain around the idea of Kaze and Kwannon being the same person. Although, she seemed to be more real now. More herself.

"Why are you here, first, hatchling.Especially since we told you to stay away from the United States. We left you with the Clan for your own protection. I'll tell you about your Father after," she replied.

Kaze looked at her hands, and scuffed her feet. "I wanted to see the States. You and Dad told me some neat stories, and I wanted to see if I could pass for human," she said, in a tiny voice.

"I'm here, because the Game called me back. If I had stayed in the Clan, I would have been a danger to everyone. When we slept during the day, an Immortal could come and smash us to get at me. I couldn't let that happen. Your Father wouldn't leave me, so we went together."

Kwannon stood up. Her tail was curled around her feet, and her wings were caped. 

"Where is Dad now?" she asked.

A looked of ancient sorrow flitted across Emrys face.

"I'll take you to him." She took a deep breath. "The rest of you are welcome to come."

I looked at Jake. He nodded.

"We would be honored," answered Jake.

"It's a ways from here. Change," she muttered, and in her place stood a tall gargoyle with blue skin, and a pair of thin horns rising from her head. Cloud white hair was bound in a braid over her shoulder, and was dressed in a kimono similar to the ones I had seen Kaze wear.

She easily climbed a tree, and leapt. Kaze followed suit. Everyone else morphed owls or other birds of prey, and we went after them. 

We had no idea where we were going. Then we landed. In a cemetery.

Cassie

When I realized where we were, I understood what had happened. Emrys stood by couples tomb stone. On it were the names, Emily and Micheal. Emrys touched the Micheal side.

Kwannon wasn't stupid. She figured it out before I did.

"He's- he's-" she stopped, and started to sob. Emrys took her into an embrace of arms and wings, and let her cry.

After a few minutes, her tears subsided for her to ask, hoarsly,"How?"

"We had, a, of all things, a car wreck. It was so pointless. A drunk came out of no where. Ran a red light, and boom, it happened."

I saw that she, too, was weeping. 

"You get so used to being immortal, that you tend to forget that those you love can die." She sighed. "For all his long life, I and Micheal never considered such a meaningless death. I never thought that I would lose him like that. It was just so, so stupid."

She became human again. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a tissue.

"Blow," she commanded, putting the paper to Kaze's nose.

I wish I could have smiled. She loved her daughter.

"So," said Marco. "How does all this fit together?"

Rachel pinched him.

"Ouch! What did I say?"

Suddenly, Emrys pushed Kwannon away, and looked around. Only a few street lights illuminated the cemetery. I saw no one.

"Hells," remarked Emrys. "What are you doing here, Destroyer of Hope?"

"I was in the neighborhood, Heart of the Dark," he responded.

"We are on holy ground, Sammel. We can't fight here."

"I was just enjoying your story. To bad you and the animal that you call a daughter hadn't died long ago, as well."

"Really. I always thought that creatures who sacrifice children to the Dark One were animals, don't you? You know, I always thought that you mother dallied with a pig."

"Such childish insults. I would have thought you would have outgrown them millenia ago."

"What can I say? I'm in my fiftith childhood. Besides, I've always rather liked the witty banter part of a fight," she tossed out carelessly, but her eyes glittered with malice.

He drew his sword. "I think we should take this elsewhere, agreed?"

Suddenly, she sprang over his head and into the nearby parking lot.

"Just did."

Sammel repeated her feat, and they started clashing. Blows were exchanged that I think even Ax had trouble following. This time, things weren't going so well for Emrys. She axe kicked, and he caught her foot. Her easily flung her to the ground. Her sword was knocked from her hand. 

"There can be only one," he declared.

His blade descended, and slashed empty dirt, because Emrys had faded into shadow.

The Ancient, wearing Emrys clothes, erupted from the ground behind him. He swung too late, and she blocked with a black staff. Now, the odds were in her favor. She lopped off his sword hand, then his head.

Lightening struck, and she screamed. Then it was over.

She turned to us, and said,"Well, looks like I have a bit more to tell you then I thought."

We wordlessly nodded. 

Comments?


	5. Default Chapter Title

****

Eternally Yours 4: Sacrifices and Revelations

Disclaimer: I am not making money, and it doesn't belong to me.

Tobias

I guess you know my name, so I won't go into that. To start the day, I was flying, hunting for prey. I spotted a nice squirrel on the ground, chewing busily on a walnut. Perfect.

I spilled air, and began a perfect dive. I was maybe twenty feet from my target, when from out of nowhere, a huge golden hawk of a species I had never seen before, raced in, and snatched it before I could get to it!

I screamed_ tsseeer, _trying to scare this pushy bird out of my territory. I was way p.o.'d.

It ignored me! It just sat there, gobbling away at what should have been my kill, in my hunting ground!

I stooped into a dive, and made a run on it. It was a large bird, but on the ground, and its talons were bound to the kill. I screamed at it again, and struck.

I mean, I tried to strike. Somehow, the darn bird ducked. It ducked! I started screaming curses in thought speak. The hawk gave me an astonished look. 

There was a slight shimmer, and in the bird's place stood Emrys, in her Old One persona, with Emrys clothes.

"I'm sorry, Tobias. I didn't realize that this was your place. I thought that no one had claimed it."

I felt a little chagrined. I was a little off my normal grounds. I did hunt here, just not that often.

No, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you could morph a hawk. 

"I'm not morphing, the way you mean it. I form an image in my mind, and put my body into it. It's magic, not science."

I wished I could sigh. I don't ever think I will get used to the idea of magic being real, 

She snorted. "Technology a few thousand years ago was magic then. I think that mainly what I do is using my will to do things that my hands can't. I pull on the Source, and it gives me strings to make weaves of things, and I make them happen. That is a simplistic explanation, but it works for me."

Last night, we had found out that Emrys was Kwannon's mother, that Kwannon was Kamikaze, and that Emrys was the old one. She had a fight outside of a cemetery, chopped off a guy's head, and been electrocuted. When the big fight was all over, she had kind of clamed up. She said she would tell us after we had gotten some sleep for the night. I didn't know if she was stalling for time, or what, but she had adamantly stated that Kaze would sleep "properly" for the day. We didn't know what she meant, until dawn came and we saw her turn to stone. I swear, I have seen a lot, but that has to be one of the strangest.

Will she be all right? I asked in worry.

"It's okay," she reassured us. "She will wake again at sunset, and everything will be healed. That is a gargoyles greatest strength, and weakness. They are completely vulnerable in this state. Yet it will heal then of any thing short of death. It is amazing to watch, or live."

She was in her Old One persona at the time, with the blue skin and all. We had to try hard to keep from staring.

"I'll explain later. You're tired, and I'm tired. This tale is old enough that a few hours at most would not make it any staler." She laughed at that, as if she thought it was funny.

The notion that she was the Ancient seemed strange. The Ancient had seemed to be a mythical figure, almost someone to hold in awe. Emrys, while a little strange, was no more so than your average bag lady. Which she was dressed like, even as the Old One, now.

When will you be getting around to telling us your story? I asked, feeling a little cranky that she had kept us waiting.

"When Kwannon wakes up," she answered.

Everyone else was in school. I had hoped to get a little inside information first.

I heard a thought speak voice saying my name.

Tobias! Where are you! Erek has found something more about the book since last night! Tobias! shouted Ax.

Emrys and I turned toward where Ax's voice was coming from. I was in a tree at this point, and Emrys offered her wrist. I hopped onto it and from there to her shoulder. She headed toward Ax's scoop.

He was talking to Erek when we arrived. Emrys jumped at the sight of him.

"Your one of the golem people, aren't you?" she said in surprise. Erek glanced over, and did a double take when he realized who was standing there.

"Yes, I suppose I am a golem, Old One. I am a Chee." He went on to tell who and what he was. She looked on in fascination. 

"I know what an android is, though I've never met one. Amazing, simply amazing." She began asking him some very technical questions about his programs. From the shocked looks on Ax's and Erek's faces, they didn't expect a demon to know that much about computer programming.

A shocked Ax told Erek what had happened last night. Erek asked," Why did you leave after Rachel was hurt if you intended to come back anyway?"

"I needed to get my herb bag. It wouldn't do a thing for my reputation if everyone knew that I had left it at my camp. Plus, there are rules that must be kept. If a person does not know about who I am, it needs to be kept that way, and I won't break them like good old Selene. The rules are complicated. It would take a couple of life times for me to describe them to you, and only then if you learn the old tongue. I don't have the time anymore."

"Strange," said Erek quietly, " for an Immortal to say that she has no time."

"I'll tell you why when I have time," she responded flippantly. "What is this about the Summoning Manuscript?"

"Yes, change the subject why don't you? We found an even older document sewn inside it. It is in a language that predates any the Chee have known. We can't decipher it. We think that this is what Selene wanted in the first place."

"May I have a look at it?" asked Emrys. More and more in my mind, the Ancient and Emrys were blending together. I wondered at the change. 

She flipped through it. When she found what Erek was talking about, she blanched.

"It's a prophecy. It's written in the Old Tongue. It was an extinct language even when I was young. I only learned it because the priests of my village spoke it, back in Ireland."

"Well, what's it say?" demanded Erek.

"This page says,"_ Twice and twice shall she be marked, twice to live, and twice to die. Once the heron, to set her path, twice the heron, to name her true, once the Dragon, for remembrance lost, and twice the Dragon, for the price she must pay._"

What does it mean? asked Ax.

"That whom ever this book is about, will be marked so that people will know her. By the way, him and her are used interchangeably in the Old Tongue. This could be a guy as easily as a girl."

"Any idea who?" added Erek.

"I have an idea, but that doesn't mean anything. Prophecies tend to vague. 'The word determines the event,' is what I was told. They tend to be self-fulfilling, because people will try and make them happen, so don't place much stock in it. Telling the future is a bunch of garbage."

You seem awfully against it. I commented.

"So?"

She turned and left.

Emrys

As I read the manuscript at my camp, I began to feel the voice in the back of my head start up again. A voice I had thought silenced forever.

_Oh, my love. Why did you leave me? It's all my fault. My fault. Mine, mine, mine mine mineminemine…. I killed them, oh, I'm so sorry, please, Light, let me die. I want to die. Let it be over, for once, oh, please_.

I gritted my teeth at this. I had lived with her before, and I could do it again.

Yet, she continued raving, and all I could do was endure.

Rachel

School was pure hell when all I wanted to do was get out and here that story from Emrys. I mean, it had to be weird. Nothing else it could be. It would be refreshing to hear of someone else having a strange life.

We got out that day, and I rode the bus over to Cassie's. I got off with her, and we both started over to Ax's scoop, where Kwannon was sleeping. The idea that she was Kaze was a bit strange. I mean, Kaze had been just like me, in a lot of ways. Kwannon had been different. She had acted stupid, but I think it had been deliberate. Then, if there were so few of her kind, I could understand, a little, any way.

We got there, when Ax cam out to meet us. Tobias was sitting in a tree next to the scoop.

"Hey, Ax, what's up?" I asked, with a high little nervous sound in my voice.

I believe that you are trying to ask me if she has said anything yet. She hasn't, yet. 

"Shoot."

Shoot what? Ax said, as Marco and Jake entered the scene.

We all stood around the statue that was Kaze. It felt strange, seeing someone as a piece of rock.

Emrys showed up.

She came from behind the way she usually did, and we didn't hear a thing, even Tobias.

"Well, since you're all here, I could start a little early."

We all looked at her impatiently. Of course we wanted her to start!

Again, she sat cross-legged on the ground. We all sat, too, and she started.

Taking a deep breath, she began with, "Once upon a time in a far away land-"

"That is the beginning of a fairly tail!" Marco said. "Don't give us that!"

"My story is a fairy tale, Marco," she said in a hollow voice that made me shiver. I could here the ages ringing in that tone and I wondered how long it had taken her to get that voice right. Years? Centuries?

Millennia?

"I don't really know when I was born, but my earliest memories are of falling. How long I fell, I have no idea. I just know that was what happened. It could have been my first death; it could have been my thousandth, for all I know. I came to in a cave. I was dressed in rags, and was found by the local people, who thought that the cave was sacred, saying that the gods had been there fighting, before the beginning of there memories, or that of their ancestors. It was a story that had been passed down for so long no one knew what originally happened.

I stayed there for centuries, because at first, I didn't know what I was. I became the shaman of the village, but I never had any indication of what I could really do. Only when another Immortal showed up, did I ever take my first head. I left after that, because I was a danger to the village that I loved. I traveled, and traveled, and saw a great many things. I was alone, always. Sometimes that is best. I learned magic from those Fey that I met, and much I learned on my own. I don't know why, but without warning, Selene appeared in my life one day, literally, and started wiping out places that I had been. Including my home village."

I saw an ancient pain in her eyes. I realized that I would never know the extent of all she had gone through, and I didn't want to. Immortality looked like to high a price.

She continued on, about how she had met her gargoyle mate, Michael, and how they had finally had Kwannon. I could tell that she had left a lot out.

Jake did too.

"Just how much did you edit that?" he asked.

I saw the faint light of humor return to her face.

"Just all the interesting parts," she said teasingly, but sadness lurked behind it.

We had sat, engrossed in her tale, until the sun had started to set. We all heard a snap and crackle. 

"Rice Krispies!" Marco exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

With a roar, Kwannon erupted from her stone shell.

"Whoa. Watch where you spray that stuff!" I shouted, as she yawned and stretched.

"Sorry," she finished yawning.

Folding her wings into a cape, she looked at all us.

"How are you feeling?" asked Cassie.

"Fine," she smiled. "I need to sleep more often. Waking up in bed is nothing like sleeping in stone."

"Well, your Mom just finished telling us about how she is a demon, and I guess that is it for the evening. Kwannon, you need to come back with me, because we need to explain where you have been for the past day, so morph out," ordered Jake.

She gave him a mocking bow, and proceeded to do just that.

Moaning, her skin seemed to shrink two sizes, and her wings and tail rolled up. Talons and feet shrank and split, forming extra fingers that a gargoyle didn't have.

Then, Kwannon the Human stood before them, looking disheveled.

"Let's go," she panted.

Emrys gave her a hug.

"Mom, I can't breathe," she gasped.

Putting her down, she said, "Um, right."

Marco

There were definitely some things that Emrys had left out, but we couldn't do anything about it.

The most frustrating part was the time before she had first 'remembered'. She was worried about it, too. 

Things may never have gotten any farther, if it hadn't been for a museum robbery.

Several flat disks had been on display at the history museum. They had looked like pottery yin-yangs. They were also extremely old. No one knew where they had come from originally, because they had been found in the Gulf of Mexico.

Some where already broken, and others were already falling apart. When they were stolen, no one knew how. There was no alarm sounded, no finger- prints, no power outages, and no suspicious bank transfers. It sounded like magic.

The others and I had gone to gawk like the rest of the city. We entered, and saw where a huge crowd had gathered. What was even stranger, was that I noticed Emrys. She was standing there, not even being jostled by the crowd.

I made my way over to her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, as loudly as I could to be heard over the din.

"I felt called," she replied, not trying to sound mysterious, but doing so anyway.

She was looking over the crowd. I wished I had the height to do the same. With an annoyed expression, she started to leave. I followed, hoping to get to use that 'don't touch me' aura that she was using.

Then, she was walked into by one of the cops.

She looked as surprised as I felt.

"Excuse me," the detective said. Then he gave Emrys a double take. He grabbed her elbow and escorted her out of the mass of people. I walked after them, trying to eavesdrop.

They stopped in an alley. I hid behind a Dumpster.

"Mother," the cop in plainclothes said," is that you?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, lad."

He laughed. "It's been forever since you called me that."

"I don't know what you're talking about! I have one daughter, and that is that! I can't even have any more children, young man, so please leave me alone."

"I," he lowered his voice. "I noticed the 'ignore me' field you put up around yourself. Plus, I know what your real name is, Asha'man."

"My name is Emrys. So what if you're a mage. So are a lot of people."

She was sounding worried.

"Why are you calling yourself 'old one,' in the old tongue?"

She didn't say anything.

"You were there to check on the seals. You know that as well as I do. IF the seals have been stolen, you'd know about it at the deepest fiber of your being. It was what you were made to do. What happened to Dad?"

"Boy, I don't know who you are, who this Asha'man is, or what happened to your father. Leave me be!" She shook his arm off, and quickly left. I hurried to catch up with her.

"That was freaky," I said, as soon as we were out of earshot.

She shivered. "Tell me about it. I felt like I ought to know that boy from somewhere, but I just don't know."

I was puzzled. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Let me clue you in to a great secret, Marco. If a person isn't inherently wise, age doesn't make you so. I was a rather ordinary person for most of my life. I still am now. There is nothing great about me, and there never will be."

I stopped, and snorted in disbelief. "Give me a break."  
I looked around. She was gone again.

"How does she do that?"

Cassie

I was at the mall again with Rachel. It was Saturday, and we had the whole day to shop. Man, did I feel unlucky.

On the way home, we hooked up with Jake, and Marco. They had been in the arcade. Tobias and Ax had been eating in the food court. Kwannon had been with them, watching Ax eat, because, as she said, it was one of the most fascinating events she had ever seen. They joined the rest of us, and we started home. 

We were about half way there, when we saw the Blade ship.

"No way!" Marco yelled, having seen it first.

"Battle morphs, guys," Jake said tensely. 

I started into my wolf morph, and saw Kwannon become a gargoyle. She drew her swords from under the jacket she had been wearing.

RUN! Jake shouted, and we ran. There was no way that we could have fought that thing.

Kaze took to the air, and Tobias went with her. Ax was in full Andalite mode, and the rest of were going as fast as we could.

Then, several Bug fighters landed behind us. The Blade ship landed before us. We were trapped.

Out stepped Visser 3, and Selene.

Emrys! I mentally cried, hoping that she would somehow hear me. Man, was I lucky, because she did.

She sprung out of the shadows, and stood between them and us.

The Controllers and Trollocs came boiling out of the ship.

We fought, but there were even too many for all of us. I saw a blade go through Emrys shoulder, and I knew there was nothing left for us, but to die.

I gave up to quickly.

I don't know where they came from, but torches lit, and surrounding us, were several figures in brown cloaks.

Great, said Marco in thought speak. Now what? Jedi? 

They pulled back their hoods. One was an Andalite, one a griffin, the others looked mostly human. Mostly.

"Leave now," said the first.

Wait, I know that guy! He was the cop that kept trying to say that he was Emrys kid! 

Kwannon shot him a look that plainly asked, what are you talking about?  
"They are under the protection of the Five, Selene. Not even you would try 

To threaten all off us."  
The man looked at her expectantly, like a man that knew the deck was stacked in his favor. Still, Selene made a gesture, and –

"Would you go against the Dragon Reborn, as well?" he added, looking from Selene, to Emrys, and back.

Scowling, she ordered the retreat.

"Thank you," said Emrys, removing the blade from her shoulder.

"Here, Mom, let Kim have a look at that," said the man, giving her his hand.

Ignoring it, she rose to she feet.

"I'm fine, lad. Immortals heal just fine."

"How did you become Immortal again?" asked the lady that had been walking toward them, in astonishment.

"I have always been. Now, will you quit with the 'mom' crap?"

But- the Andalite said in thought speak.

"What is another Andalite doing on Earth?" asked Jake.

Apparently, we have some talking to do, replied the Andalite.

Waving his hand, they found themselves in a pleasant room, with high bookcases, and a fireplace.

"If you would sit?" asked the man politely.

They sat. Kwannon sat next to Emrys, with Emrys putting a protective arm around her.

"My name is Jerhod Thorn. I am the son of Asha'man and Alaric Thorn. I have one full sister, and two half brothers. I am the Guardian of Fire, called the Paladin. My wife, Kim, is a human-gargoyle crossbreed. She is the Guardian of Water, the Healer. There are five types of threads, Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit. There are five warriors at a time that take up these Powers, and use them to keep back the great Dark. Over there is the Mage, our resident Andalite, who is of Air, and our griffin, Sora, who is the Priest, of Spirit. The other is the Wanderer, but he can't be here, largely on account that he is dead.

There, is, one other. The Dragon Reborn. She, or he, is one who is born over and over, to fight the Dark. _Twice and twice shall she be marked, twice to live, and twice to die. Once the Heron, to set her path, twice the Heron, to name her true. Once the Dragon, for remembrance lost, and twice the Dragon, for the price she must pay._

Hold out your arms, Emrys," he finished.

Reluctantly, she bared her fore arms. She had half the marks. One Dragon, and one Heron, both on her left arm.

"What happened to you? When you disappeared a year ago, you had both sets."

"That was part of what I was trying to tell you, lad. I'm immortal, and I'm over six thousand years old. I fought against Khan, Napoleon, Hitler and Crom. I have been a slave, a nun, a wife and a mother. I saw the pyramids built, was crucified twice, and hung several others. I can't be who you think I am."

"My mother was the Dragon Reborn. She had been through what you where saying, and some others, only, she was about two hundred when she left. A year ago. She looked like you, and had the came marks, if more of them. You have to be she."

"Wait a minute. A mother?"

She gave a wry grin, showing all her teeth. "Yes. This is my daughter Kwannon."

Jerhod went over, and seriously shook her hand. "Welcome to the family, Kwannon."

Kwannon laughed shakily.

Jerhod took a deep breath. "There is a way we could see the truth. There is a cave, behind the house, that can show history. Do you want to go see."

Emrys considered it. I could see the way how hard she was considering it. 

"Yes," she sighed. "Let's do it."

Tobias

I flew behind everyone. Jerhod led the way, and everyone else marched behind. We made the offer to stay behind, but didn't really want to. Emrys said that we could come.

We entered the entrance of the cave, with Emrys going first. Deeper we went, until no light reached us from outside.

"Well, now what?" asked Marco.

"We wait."

Light enveloped us.

We were on a mountain, watching as a woman gave birth to twins, dying as she did so. Images sped by us as we saw those children, boy and girl, grow and mature. Then, at eleven, their house burned. Only one made it out. That girl went through a harsh life, growing into a beautiful red haired woman. We see her train, and fight. She gets married. Then is captured, and dies, and is twisted after death into the person we see as Emrys. She becomes evil. She kills without compunction. She drinks blood. She had become a demon.

Later, she redeems herself. She does many great things. She saves the world. She had been cursed with immortality. She becomes mortal again, and is told that she has only twenty years left to her life. She settles down with her husband, and raises her family, until we got to the important part.

Asha'man smiled, looking at her son and pupils train. They are truly going to be great, she thinks, but cuts it off as she feels a wave of weakness. The time is coming, she knows, when she will have to leave.

That night, she dresses all in black, and tries to leave. Her husband finds her, and asks to go. Knowing that there is no way she can stop him, she agrees.

We see them go through some sort of portal. Then, it looks like the closest to hell that she has ever been at.

It is a wasteland. They walk in, and Asha unsheathes a crystal sword. Inside, they talk to Selene. They even have tea.

Selene smiles, and says something. Asha ducks as a Dracon beam is aimed at her back, and she gestures with the sword. It glows with all the light of the sun. Her husband disappears from view.

I watch in fascinated horror, as she fights creatures that look like Andalites, Trollocs, and others. She manages to run out, but she is badly hurt. A cut drips blood into her eyes.

I suddenly understood that I could hear what she was thinking!

I feel the sting of blood in my eyes. She sees light up ahead!

Hoping against hope, that this time, it will end differently, she heads toward the light. It opens out onto a ledge. There is a sheer cliff beneath it. No way out. No hope left.

I hear a laugh from behind me.

"I told you, Asha'man, there is no way out for you this time. Come, join me." She holds out her hand mockingly. "I may even- spare your life, and the lives of your children." She smiled sweetly. "You really are pathetic, aren't you? Look at you. No friends, no weapons, no strength, and no hope. Take all the trappings away, and what do you have left?"

She gave a soft yawn, and pointed to one of her catspaws. "Kill her, I'm bored with this game."

It, the whatever it was, aimed a dracon beam at her, and fired. Just then, her husband reappears. He gets in the way of the beam and pushed Asha to safety. He is mortally wounded.

"NOOO!" I hear Asha scream.

She picks up her sword, and throws it like a spear. Selene is pinned to the wall, and dies.

"Oh, 'Laric," she chokes. "Why? I was dying anyway."

"Maybe," he whispered, his breath rattling in his chest, "Maybe, I just couldn't bear not living with you. So, I decided to die with you."

He coughs, and blood bubbles up. She held him fiercely. 

"Evil still remains here. We have to destroy this place. We-" he chokes again, and death glazes his eyes.

"Alaric," she whispers, and puts her head to his chest, and cries.

How long we watched her cry, we didn't know. We didn't care, because we could feel her pain like it was our own. 

Slowly, she closes his eyes, and gently kisses him. 

She gets up, and wrenches the crystal sword from the rock and Selene's body. 

Bitterly, she starts to chant the words of a spell. Raising the blade above her head, it lights again, and she starts to plunge it into the ground. 

Bloody hands grab at Asha from behind, and she has to throw off Selene, who had revived. Knowing that she can't take her in a fight, even now, she jumps from the ledge. Calling the Light down, she lives only long enough to hear Selene's scream of defeat. 

All we see after that, is a set of chard bones,

Then, slowly, flesh returns, and Emrys is born, coming from Asha's remains.

There, the vision ended

I couldn't believe what I had just seen. 

I looked at Emrys, and realized I wasn't looking at Emrys. Asha'man looked out of her eyes, and now, she was complete at last.

Comments? 


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